Dame Mary Berry: My Aubergine caponata recipe

“Traditionally made with green olives and red wine vinegar, I prefer using soft, black-pitted olives and white wine vinegar, as I always have them in the cupboard,” says Dame Mary Berry.

Serves 4. Ingredients: 8tbsp olive oil; 2 aubergines, cut into 2cm cubes; 2 onions, finely chopped; 2 celery sticks, finely chopped; 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into 1cm cubes; 3 large garlic cloves, finely grated; 500g passata; 115g soft pitted black olives; 2tbsp white wine vinegar; 3tbsp capers from a jar, drained; 1½tbsp caster sugar; 3tbsp freshly chopped parsley

Heat three tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan that has a lid over a high heat. Add half of the aubergine and fry until browned. Remove the aubergine from the pan and set aside. Heat another three tablespoons of the oil in the pan and fry the remaining aubergine. Set aside with the rest.

Heat the remaining oil in the pan. Add the onions, celery and pepper and fry over a high heat for three-to-four minutes. Add the garlic and fry for a few seconds. Return the aubergine to the pan, and add the passata, olives, vinegar, capers and sugar. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, cover with a lid, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes.

Remove the lid from the pan and simmer for another five minutes until the sauce has reduced and the vegetables are soft but not mushy.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve with crusty bread, couscous or as a vegetable side dish.

Tips: Can be made up to a day ahead and reheated to serve; freezes for up to a month.

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Chicken tartiflette

“A take on the classic tartiflette, which is a dish of potato, bacon, onions and Reblochon cheese that is traditional in the Alps. Choose a smoked, cured ham of your choice and waxy potatoes, ideally La Ratte or small new potatoes.

“If you can’t find Reblochon, use Brie or Camembert instead,” notes Dame Mary Berry.

Serves 6. Ingredients: 8 slices Parma or Black Forest ham; 2 onions, thinly sliced; 750g waxy potatoes, thickly sliced; 2tbsp olive oil; 2 garlic cloves, finely grated; 6 small skinless boneless chicken breasts; 200g button mushrooms; 150ml white wine; 150ml pouring double cream; 250g Reblochon cheese, rind removed and diced; 1tbsp grainy mustard; Juice of ½ lemon; 1tbsp freshly chopped thyme

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/gas mark 6.

Snip two slices of the Parma ham into small pieces.

Put the snipped Parma ham, onions, potatoes, oil and garlic into a large, shallow roasting tin. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and toss everything together. Roast in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes until the potato slices are nearly tender.

Meanwhile, put the remaining slices of Parma ham on a board. Place the chicken breasts on top of the ham and wrap one around each breast. Season.

Remove the roasting tin from the oven. Stir in the mushrooms, wine and cream, and add the cheese. Sit the wrapped chicken breasts on top of the vegetables and return to the oven for about 20-22 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are tender.

Remove the chicken from the tin and place on a warm plate to rest. Stir the mustard, lemon juice and thyme into the tin until combined.

Carve each chicken breast into three and place over the vegetables and sauce. Serve piping hot.

Tips: The first stage of cooking the vegetables, before adding the chicken, can be done up to two hours ahead; do not freeze.

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Lemon and passion fruit traybake

“Traybakes are so versatile and are perfect for sharing or wrapping as gifts. Passion fruit curd is readily available, and it is wonderful to be able to buy it so easily, as we love it!” says Dame Mary Berry.

“This recipe also works well with lemon or orange curd instead of passion fruit.”

Makes 16 pieces. Ingredients: 225g baking spread, straight from the fridge, plus extra for greasing; 225g caster sugar; 275g self-raising flour; 1tsp baking powder; 4 eggs; 2tbsp milk; 2tbsp passion fruit curd; Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

For the icing: 300ml pouring double cream; 4tbsp passion fruit curd

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/gas mark 4. Grease and line a 30 × 23-centimetre traybake tin with non-stick baking paper.

Measure all the traybake ingredients into a large bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk until combined and smooth.

Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin and level the top. Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes, or until the cake has shrunk from the sides of the tin and springs back when pressed in the centre. Cool in tin.

To make the icing, combine the cream and half the curd in a large bowl and whip until soft peaks form. (Be careful not to over-whip, as the curd will make it thick.) Spread the icing over the surface of the cooled cake.

Drizzle the top of the traybake with the remaining curd in a zig-zag pattern. Cut into 16 pieces to serve.

Tips: If your curd is very thick, loosen it with a little water or warm it gently in order to drizzle it to decorate it at the end. Can be made up to a day ahead. Freezes well un-iced; if you over-whip the cream and it starts to curdle, save it by adding a little more liquid cream, a spoonful at a time, until it is smooth again.