Retro food hall of fame

The mix of textures, flavours and temperatures combine in the classic king of desserts, the bombe alaska, to create a sensationally sweet dish.

The mille-feuille, or vanilla slice, or custard slice, is known as the Napoleon. It is a French pastry whose exact origin, despite its noble name, is unknown. It’s also quite delicious.

Hearty, comforting and ready in just 20 minutes, this Hungarian-inspired beef stroganoff is the perfect pick-me up on a chilly winter night

Make a couple of snaps first to establish a precise cooking time, then proceed with the remaining mixture, cooking about four snaps on a tray at a time. Once you become confident, you can bake several trays at staggered times. Note

This is a great way to use inexpensive fish and although it is essentially a good midweek family meal, it’s delicious enough to serve for a more special occasion.

This colourful and classy-looking dessert uses strawberry jelly crystals laced with a strawberry liqueur for flavour and a few real strawberries just for decoration It is a quick and easy cheat’s delight that is bound to impress guests at your next dinner party.

Tender chicken breasts stuffed with smoked salmon and goat’s cheese make for a fabulous dinner party main. You could also make this recipe with double lamb cutlets or butterflied quail instead of the chicken.

To save time, use leftover chicken or bought barbecue chicken, remove all skin and bones before using. Tarragon is the essential flavouring for many classic French sauces and dishes. It is also blended with parsley, chives and chervil to make fines herbes. Note

Tender slow-cooked lamb shanks go brilliantly with a hearty lentil ragu for a filling and nutritious flavour-packed winter dinner for the whole family.

Use 250g marinara mix or your favourite seafood in this recipe. Note

An old-school Boston bun has a certain retro charm – layer the frosting on as thick as you like and serve it with butter for spreading. Photography and recipe by Gourmet Traveller.

Vol-au-vent is a classic dish, made with chicken in a delicious cream sauce and makes tasty finger food too. For extra flavour and colour add some freshly chopped chives to the cream.

Making your first Swiss roll is a rite of passage for keen bakers, and if you haven’t given it a go yet this chocolate log recipe is a great way to try. Covered in chocolate ganache, even if you don’t roll straight, the end result will taste amazing.

We take humble bacon and egg rolls to a new level by adding baked beans and serving them in crunchy bread baskets.

Whip up this savoury cheeseball for your next dinner party – it makes a great addition to a platter of crackers and crudité.

Tasty, wholesome salmon and asparagus quiche is the perfect idea for dinner tonight. Full of rich flavour and nutritious ingredients.

You will need about 9 oranges for this recipe. Grate the rind from the oranges for the custard before juicing them for the jelly. You can make the jelly, candied rind and orange custard a day ahead. Refrigerate jelly and custard separately until ready to assemble. Store rind in an airtight container at room temperature. […]

A modern take on the traditional French dish duck a l’orange. It’s easy to make to wow your guests at your next dinner party … or serve as a special dinner for your loved ones.

Some butchers sell a pork and veal mince mixture. If it is not available as a mixture, buy 500g pork mince and 500g veal or beef mince. This recipe can be prepared 8 hours ahead to the end of step 6. It is best to cook the meatloaf just before serving so it retains its […]

Use cooled black coffee to flavour custard. Fold 125g finely chopped fresh strawberries into custard. Replace passionfruit in icing with freshly squeezed orange juice or raspberry puree. Note

Like a Neapolitan dream, this mousse cake has a base of chocolate mud cake, followed by a layer of chocolate mousse, then strawberry mousse and topped with fresh strawberries.

Micro herbs can be found at specialist grocery stores, or some supermarkets. If you can’t find micro herbs, simply replace with chopped chives. Note

If salmon slices are less than 6cm wide, you can use two pieces side by side. Overlap edges of salmon then press them together gently before cutting out rounds. Note

This beef bourguignon recipe is full of flavour and cabernet melot – the ultimate winter dish!

Everybody loves a cheeseball! Whip up this savoury cheeseball for your next dinner party – it makes a great addition to a platter of crackers and crudité.