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Magret en Croûte de Lavande 2 duck fillets or magrets, about 400 grams (14 ounces) each 4 teaspoons unsprayed dried lavender flowers (check with the vendor that the lavender is safe for consumption) 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds The zest of one lemon, finely chopped 2 teaspoons fleur de sel 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper Serves 4. Slash a few diagonal cuts in the skin of the meat. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small mortar or spice grinder, and pestle or process until finely ground. Sprinkle this rub on the flesh side of the meat, wrap each piece tightly in plastic, and chill for an hour. Remove the meat from the fridge 15 minutes before serving. Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F), and place the fillets or magrets (without the plastic wrap!) skin side down in a baking dish. Slip into the oven to bake for 15 minutes, flip the meat, and return into the oven for 5 minutes. If desired, you can switch the oven to grill mode at this point to get the skin crispy and golden. Transfer the meat on a cutting-board, and reserve the cooking juices. Cover the meat with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut each fillet in 1-cm (1/2-inch) slices, drizzle with the juices, and serve with mashed purple potatoes.

Ingredients750g octopus1 head of garlic3 bay leaves3 sprigs of thyme1 chilli175g white wine2 onions4 tbs olive oil250g risotto rice200g peeled and chopped tinned tomatoes 2 tbs chopped flat parsley1 tsp pimento (piccante)1 tsp chopped garlic1 tbs lemon juice½ tsp flaked sea salt

Method● Rinse the octopus in cold water. Place it in an oven tray on top of the bulb of garlic sliced in half, the bay leaves, thyme, chilli and white wine. Cover and seal with aluminium foil and then place in a medium oven (150ºC) and cook for one hour. Test with a sharp pointed knife for tenderness. ● Once the octopus is cooked, remove from the tray and leave to cool. Strain the cooking juice, saving the two pieces of garlic. Peel and chop the onion very finely. In a large casserole warm half the olive oil and add the chopped onions, letting them stew very gently for 15 minutes. Add the rice, season well and stir until the rice starts to stick before adding the tomatoes and stirring those in turn. Squeeze the sweet pulp out of the cooked garlic cloves and add these to the rice before slowly adding the cooking liquor. Proceed to make a risotto in the usual way, adding water at the end if there is insufficient cooking liquor to cook the rice.● While the risotto cooks, separate the octopus tentacles, cutting them in half if they are very large, and cut the heads into four pieces. Toss these pieces with the remaining olive oil. In a large bowl, make a paste from the parsley, pimento, chopped garlic, lemon juice and salt. ● Just before the rice is cooked, heat a flat dry griddle pan until quite hot and lay the octopus pieces in it, letting them sear for two minutes before turning them and searing on the other side. Once hot and nicely browned, remove and place in the bowl with the parsley mixture. Serve the risotto on to six plates with the griddled octopus pieces on top.

Gratin Dauphinois - 1 kg (2.2 pounds) potatoes, a mix of waxy and baking potatoes (if you prefer to use only one type, pick waxy potatoes, not too firm) - 500 ml (2 cups) milk (whole or part-skim, not skim) - 1 1/2 teaspoons salt - freshly grated nutmeg - 1 clove garlic, sliced lengthwise - 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives (optional) - 60 ml (1/4 cup) heavy cream (marketed as double cream in the UK and crème fraîche liquide in France) Serves 6 as a side dish. Peel the potatoes, rinse them briefly, and slice them thinly (about 3mm or 1/10th of an inch) and evenly. (A food processor or a mandoline come in handy at this point.) Do not rinse after slicing, or you will lose all that precious starch. Combine the sliced potatoes, milk, salt and a good grating of nutmeg in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, and keep simmering for 8 minutes, stirring the potatoes and scraping the bottom of the pan regularly to prevent sticking/scorching. The milk will gradually thicken to a creamy consistency. While the potatoes are simmering, preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F) and rub the bottom and sides of a medium earthenware or glass baking dish (I use an oval dish that's 26 cm/10 inches at its widest, and 2 liters/2 quarts in capacity) with the cut sides of the garlic clove. Transfer half of the potatoes into the baking dish, sprinkle with the chives if using, and drizzle with half of the cream. Add the rest of the potatoes, pour the cooking milk over them, and drizzle with the remaining cream. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until bubbly on the edges and nicely browned at the top. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. You can also bake the gratin a few hours ahead, let cool, and reheat for 15 minutes in a 220°C (430°F) oven before serving