How to make appetising antipasti One of the main advantages of eating this way at home, he says, is that sharing food naturally creates a relaxed, good-humoured atmosphere. And in a restaurant, it alleviates the agony of "food envy," experienced when your companion's meal outshines the one you have ordered. It is fair to say that Andy has made antipasti his own, not just in terms of his recipes but also in terms of provenance. Instead of Gorgonzola, he favours Cornish blue; his cured meats are all sourced from local British producers; and he only imports the most specialist of ingredients from Italy. "It's great if we can beat the Italians at their own game," he says mischievously. We are less hidebound by tradition, so we can combine the best bits of cuisine in a way the Italians wouldn't dream of. And if we can do that with British ingredients, so much the better. With this in mind, I don a chef's jacket and join Andy in his new kitchen for a few tips. "Part of the battle is having really good-quality ingredients," he begins. You should always have a good extra virgin olive oil for finishing dishes - we use a Tuscan oil called Fondoti (£16.93, capitaldrinks.com), as it has a nice peppery flavour. You also need a syrupy, sweet vinegar like Belazu (£9, waitrose.com), some good sea salt and cracked pepper, and some artisan bread. Jake Wallis Simons learns how to make antipasti (Pic: Jay Williams) If you really want to push the boat out, he recommends getting hold of carta di musica, a very thin and crispy flatbread from Sardinia. It is incredibly moreish, can be eaten plain or with oil or cheese, and makes a stylish companion to any antipasti. Find it at Italian delis, or online at vallebona.co.uk. Andy has chosen four of his favourite antipasti dishes, all of which blend Italian style with British ingredients: broccoli wrapped in cured ham; cheesy risotto balls (arancini); mixed fish goujons (fritto misto di pesce); grilled pear with blue cheese and walnuts; and mussels with leeks and beer. "The whole thing shouldn't take us longer than an hour," he says, noticing my widening eyes. You'd be surprised what can be achieved when you're organised. The broccoli is the most straightforward. We blanch a few stems of purple sprouting - or "PSB" as Andy calls it - wrap them in coppa (dry-cured pork shoulder) and chargrill them to bring out the salt in the meat. Andy buys his coppa locally from Deli Farm Charcuterie, which has an online shop at delifarmcharcuterie.co.uk. Without pausing for breath, we move on to the cheesy risotto balls. Again, we're aiming for simple but effective. Last night's risotto is best, as it becomes softer and more malleable. A fresh batch should be slightly overcooked to achieve the same effect. The joy of this recipe, says Andy, is that "arancini can take anything." So long as the flavours are good and strong - they tend to fade when the arancini are cooked - one could throw in anything from porcini to pistachio. We add crushed hazelnuts and lots of cheese: mozzarella for stringiness, and Cornish blue for kicks (Taleggio is an Italian favourite, but even a strong cheddar can work). "If you like, you can make a hollow in the balls with your thumb and fill it with a blob of ragù or bolognese," says Andy. In Italy, arancini are street food. They are the size of tennis balls, and often filled with meat. The arancini are rolled in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, then dropped in the deep fryer. This method of cooking has fallen out of fashion in Britain, but is used a lot in Italy; Andy points out that everything can be enjoyed in moderation, and that a decent deep fryer can be picked up for around £40. Alternatively, the arancini can be briefly pan-fried and then baked. They are served with a quick aioli dip, made with mayonnaise, lemon and garlic. The deep fryer comes into action again when we move on to the mixed fish goujons, or fritto misto di pesce. The trick, says Andy, is to make the batter as light as you can. "Nobody wants a heavy, crusty batter for an antipasto," he says. So I make mine with flour, cornflour, sparkling water and white wine. The fizz gives it a real lift. We make the batter quite thin, then dunk slices of white fish into it and deep-fry them. The mussel recipe is straightforward too. For the best results, the pan must be piping hot. Sliced leeks are fried until soft, then the mussels are thrown in along with a glug of St Austell IPA (available from Waitrose), or any good local equivalent. After a few minutes, a handful of chopped parsley is stirred through and the dish is ready to serve. Finally, we begin the one that is destined to become my favourite: the grilled pear with blue cheese and walnuts. "The combination is a classic," says Andy, "but grilling the pears with honey adds an extra sweetness." The pears are sliced lengthways and cored with a melon scoop. Then they are placed flesh-down on a hot griddle pan to create some charred lines, drizzled with honey, sprinkled with thyme, and baked. Blue cheese is added, and walnuts: irresistible. When the individual dishes are assembled on a "feasting plate," the flavours and textures create a harmony of parallels and contrasts. "The way I see it, antipasti pleases everyone," says Andy as we dig in. When you serve it, you hope that every dish will be eaten at the same rate, with nothing falling behind. I become aware that I should hold back on the grilled pears. But I am unable to. Purple sprouting broccoli wrapped in coppa Ingredients 8 stems of purple sprouting or tender-stem broccoli 8 slices of coppa or any cured meat Salt and pepper Remove some of the leaves from the bottom of the broccoli stems. Blanch in boiling, salted water for a minute or so or until the stems have a little give in them. Wrap each one in a slice of coppa. You can eat them straight away, but I like to chargrill them briefly to bring out the salt in the coppa. Cheesy Arancini 500g cooked risotto, cold 100g mixed strong cheese 6 egg yolks, beaten 100g plain flour 100g breadcrumbs Last night's risotto is best, as it is soft and easily moulded. If making a fresh batch, overcook it slightly and allow it to cool. Add whatever you like into the risotto, from ham to hazelnuts. Just use lots of seasoning and strong flavours such as blue cheese and dried porcini. Roll into 20 ping-pong-ball-sized portions. If you want to give the balls a filling, make a hollow with your thumb, fill with cheese or bolognese, and close up again. Roll the balls first in beaten eggs, then in flour, and finally in breadcrumbs. Deep-fry in small batches for four minutes at 170C/325F. Alternatively, pan-fry in a little oil and bake in the oven at 180C /350F/Gas 4 for 20 minutes. Fritto Misto di Pesce (mixed fried fish) 1kg mixed white fish (skin removed, cut into 1cm strips) 100g flour 100g cornflower 70ml white wine 150ml sparkling water To make the batter, combine the flour and cornflour and slowly mix in the white wine and sparkling water. It should be a fairly thin consistency. Set a deep fat fryer to 180C/350F. In small batches, dip the fish into the batter and shake off the excess so you're left with a light coating. Gently place into the fryer for about three to four minutes, remove and place onto kitchen towel. Season to taste and serve with some good mayonnaise. Grilled pear with blue cheese and walnuts 2 pears (not too ripe) Drizzle of honey Small bunch of fresh thyme 50g blue cheese 20g walnuts Heat your griddle pan and oven at 180C/350F/Gas 4. Slice the pears lengthways and scoop out the core (a melon baller is good for this). Place flesh-side down onto the griddle pan and leave for four to five minutes until there are some nice grill lines on the pears. Place onto a roasting tray. Drizzle with honey, add a sprinkle of thyme and cook until soft. Place some blue cheese on each pear and return to the oven until it just starts to melt. Add some walnuts and season to taste. Mussels, leeks and beer 800g cleaned mussels 1 sliced leek Small bunch of chopped flat-leaf parsley 100ml good local beer Heat a large pot, lid off, until it is hot. Add a little olive oil, then cook the leek until soft. Tip in the mussels and stir well, then pour in a good splash of beer. Place the lid on the pan and leave to steam for a few minutes. When the mussels are all open, add a handful of chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Stir well and serve straight away. fifteencornwall.co.uk