The essence of baking or roasting is not only its simplicity and good-natured quality but also what happens to the food. Juices leak and caramelise on the pan, edges crisp, flavours concentrate. Even roasted for a short time, chicken pieces will develop a crisp, savoury skin; the filling for a stuffed chicken breast will melt appetisingly; a belly of lamb will tenderise. But there is more. Pasta in a sauce will form a golden crust, vegetables baked in cheese sauce will turn an irresistible gold, a potato will bake to bring untold comfort. Remove the fillets from the pan and spread them with Dijon mustard. I do this quite generously but it depends on your taste for the stuff. Then roll them in the seasoned crumbs. Trickle over a light coating of olive oil, then bake for about 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 200C/gas mark 6. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice and serve. Depending on the time of year, green beans, spinach, potato dauphinoise or new potatoes would be an appropriate accompaniment. For 4. Rose meat. Golden crumbs. A few thoughts Fillet is a lean cut; be generous with the olive oil. Use coarse, dry breadcrumbs, ideally the Japanese panko crumbs if you can find them. Scatter any leftover crumbs in the dish and serve them on the side. Pistou. Spread pistou over the lamb instead of the mustard, and swap the cumin and caraway seeds for herbes de Provence (savory, basil, thyme, lavender). Roast as before. On the side: green beans. Wasabi and panko. Spread the browned lamb with wasabi paste (freshly grated from the root if at all possible) then roll it in the breadcrumbs. Pistachio and black olive tapenade. Spread the warm, sealed lamb fillet with black olive tapenade, roll it in crushed pistachios and roast as before. Harissa and sesame.Spread a layer of harissa paste over the browned lamb, roll lightly in sesame seeds, then roast as before. Mustard. Spread a pork fillet with Dijon mustard and wrap in breadcrumbs the same way as the lamb, but double the cooking time, basting halfway through. Eat with apple purée and a fennel and watercress salad.