Tom Kitchin: "It's such a joy to linger over great food that everyone can enjoy - and go back for seconds" WITH early May and spring bank holidays fast approaching, many of you will be planning a get-together with family and friends to make the most of an extra day off work. It's a wonderful time of year to socialise and catch up with the most important people in your life, and spring for me is one of the most exciting times of the year as the days get lighter, the weather gets warmer and a fantastic array of fresh ingredients arrive in the kitchen. If the weather does stay fair for the bank holiday weekend, it can be the perfect chance to explore your own local area or discover someone else's. In my eyes, sharing food is the ideal way to spend any bank holiday. To make sure you take out the stress of entertaining, though, the best advice I can offer is to plan ahead. At the restaurant, weekends are typically our busiest times, so it's essential that our family plans ahead for any visitors we have over the long weekends. When it comes to feeding your guests, being organised, shopping seasonally and making wise choices about what to cook are the key. Doing so, will mean you can spend more time catching up and having fun rather than spending the entire time in the kitchen worrying about what to whip up to keep everyone happy. If you're cooking for friends, try to avoid the temptation to make a dish that is overly ambitious or that you've never tried before - it's much better to serve something you're confident with, or give a fresh twist to an old classic you've been making for years. It's not the time to pretend you're in the final of MasterChef, so try to keep things simple and satisfying. It's worth having a mid-week trial run of the dish beforehand too, so you can work through any concerns. A last-minute panic can be avoided by cooking at least one course from start to finish, in your own time, before anyone arrives. You will be surprised at some of the dishes that can be prepared in advance. When planning your menu, think about what's in season and what you can buy locally, making the most of the foods found around you. It will give visitors a real taste of the local fare and your ingredients will be much fresher and more flavoursome, meaning the recipes you choose can be kept simple in order to showcase the ingredients themselves. It's also worth thinking about making your meals go as far as possible. This roast ham and potato gratin is the perfect meal to prepare ahead and you can leave both dishes in the oven to cook while you get on with the tidying and other preparations. If you've left them both in the oven then there's no rush, and you can be flexible about the time you eat rather then ushering your guests to the table as soon as they step through the door. It's also an ideal dish to place in the middle of the table for everyone to tuck into and help themselves, which also saves you time and the effort of plating up in the kitchen, leaving you free to join everyone else and make the most of your time together. The best thing about this menu is that you can keep any leftover ham to make delicious sandwiches with some fresh bread the next day, either to enjoy at home or take out with you as a packed lunch or picnic. I love nothing more than sharing dishes, for both family meals and when friends are visiting. It's such a joy to linger over great food that everyone can enjoy - and go back for seconds if they wish. It makes the host's life a lot easier and also saves on the washing up. What could be more perfect? Think about seasonal casseroles or pies such as this tasty fish pie. It's ideal to have waiting in the oven after a busy day out, and it's a dish that is usually enjoyed by all ages and appetites. The beauty is, you can use any type of fresh fish that is in season and that you can get your hands on from your local fishmonger. Some fresh crusty bread served on the side and some seasonal greens make the ultimate finishing touches. When it comes to feeding guests in the morning, again it's worth trying to keep things simple. Eggs are the perfect foundation for a weekend breakfast, and even if your visitors have different preferences on how they enjoy them, most cooking methods are quick, easy and delicious, and will give you the energy you need if you're planning a walk or sightseeing later on. Poached eggs are a good option, and once you master the art of making them, they are incredibly easy to make. If you get them right, your guests are sure to be impressed. The key to the perfect poached egg is to add vinegar to your boiling water. Make sure you break the eggs into individual coffee cups or ramekins and then swirl the vinegared water before sliding the egg in. You need to repeat this process for each egg, making sure you swirl the water each time. With some careful planning and clever cooking, the imminent bank holidays can be exactly as they should be - fun for your friends and family, and you. Roast ham Serves four to six 2kg boneless gammon joint ½ leek 1 onion 1 bouquet garni For the glaze 200g Demerara sugar 200g honey 50g Dijon mustard Handful cloves 20ml sherry vinegar Place the gammon into a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Add the leek and onion and cook slowly for two hours. Skim off any impurities that rise to the top. Then turn off the heat and leave to cool in the stock. Remove the ham from the stock and place it on a roasting tray. Make sure you keep the stock as it will be perfect to use for making soup. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Score the skin of the ham with a sharp knife and then insert the cloves into the skin. Put the honey, sugar and sherry vinegar in a small pan and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Brush the Dijon mustard over the ham, then cover with the honey glaze. Place the ham in the oven for 30 minutes, and ensure you keep basting. Remove the meat from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving with the potato gratin. This can be roasted on the day or up to two days ahead and served cold, so is the perfect dish for entertaining guests. Potato gratin Serves four 900g potatoes, thinly sliced Salt Pepper 1 tsp grated nutmeg 1 clove garlic, crushed 150ml single cream 100ml milk Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/gas 3. Slice the potatoes thinly and salt lightly. Cook the potatoes for five minutes in boiling water, then squeeze out excess water by placing in a colander and leaving for ten minutes. Arrange the potatoes in layers in a greased, shallow, ovenproof dish, sprinkling each layer with salt, pepper, nutmeg and garlic. Mix the cream and milk together and pour over the layered potatoes. Cook in the oven for an hour to and hour and a quarter, until golden brown. It's ready when a knife can be inserted without resistance. To serve, place the dish in the centre of the table for your guests to help themselves. Ham sandwiches You can use any leftover roast ham to make sandwiches the next day. Make them any way you wish but I like to buy fresh crusty bread and serve with tasty thick slices of the roast ham, mustard mayonnaise, crunchy lettuce, gherkins and sliced red onion. Tom Kitchin's fish pie 2 litres milk 2 fillets (roughly 600g) of any fresh, seasonal fish of your choice - firm fish works best such as pollack, cod, haddock or salmon - diced into 2cm cubes 1 fillet (about 200g) smoked fish 4-6 langoustines 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered 1 egg, beaten 1kg Maris Piper potatoes 2 tbsp butter Salt Pepper Béchamel sauce 500ml milk 60g butter 4 tbsp flour 2 tbsp grain mustard To make the béchamel sauce, first bring the milk up to a simmer in a small pot and then set aside. Next, in another pan, melt the butter gently over a medium heat, then add flour and stir until the mixture is smooth. Now begin adding the milk a little at a time, to avoid lumps. Keep adding milk and stirring until you have a rich creamy sauce. Allow to cook slowly for five minutes and then add the grain mustard. Set aside. Gently heat the two litres of milk, taking care that it doesn't boil over. Add the raw fish filets and poach in the milk for three to four minutes. Add the smoked fish and poach for a further three to four minutes. Carefully remove the fish and set aside. Peel the langoustines and gently poach them in the same milk for two to three minutes. Keep the heads to decorate the pie later. Set the milk aside to use in the mashed potatoes. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Place the potatoes on a tray and bake until crispy and soft. While still hot, scoop out the flesh, discard the skins and pass the potato through a sieve to remove any lumps. Heat the milk that you used for poaching the fish, then add the butter and fold through the potato mixture until it is the right consistency. Season to taste. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/ gas 5. To make the pie, butter a baking dish and spread a small amount of béchamel on the bottom of the dish. On top of this, spread the poached fish and quartered eggs, then the remaining béchamel. Top with the mashed potatoes, then place the langoustine heads into the potato and brush the top of the pie with an egg wash. Place the baking dish on a tray and put in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling. To serve, place the pie in the middle of the table so everyone can see how beautiful the dish is and serve themselves. The pie is also great accompanied by a nice green salad.