Blood oranges aren’t here for a long so make some time to cherish them

These citrus fruits look like regular oranges on the outside but cut them in half to reveal ruby red flesh.

They have a lovely sweet, tart flavour that works well with desserts and savoury dishes alike. Serve them with rice pudding, pannacotta or even just icecream. For something savoury they work well with oily fish like mackerel, in a salad with mozzarella, with shaved fennel or with crispy duck.

Blood oranges aren’t here for a long time so make the most of them while they’re here, cherish how they brighten a dull day, and look forward to the new season next year.

I love how certain foods come at specific times of the year like asparagus and new potatoes.

We’ve got ourselves into a rut of expecting everything to be available all year round and really we’d be better just celebrating limited season produce when its here. You can buy strawberries all year round but the ones available now have the flavour profile of a loofah.

Crepes Suzettes are one of the those classic French dishes that would traditionally have been cooked tableside on a gueridon trolley.

This consisted of a trolley with a frying pan on top of a stove. The pan and the stove were made of copper.

There was always a bit of drama involved and whether it was a steak Diane, bananas Foster, cherries Jubilee or crepes Suzettes the end result was throwing liquor over the pan and setting it alight.

I think it’s time, in our troubled world, to bring back such simple pleasures. Blood oranges add to the drama of this dish – just make sure you stand well back when you flame the whole thing.

Fish is a bit sparse at this time of year but smoked mackerel is a constant you can always rely on. Go to a fishmonger or deli to pick up some properly smoked fish. You can whizz it into a pate, it goes beautifully with beetroot and horseradish, add it to potatoes with cream and mustard and grill with some cheese…

The recipe here is for a kedgeree, believed to have been devised in the nineteenth century by Scottish army regiments who’d been based in Indian and hankered for the tastes they enjoyed while stationed there. The rice is cooked with spices and aromatic vegetables then finished with haddock.

Traditionally saffron would be added but it’s a bit pricey and turmeric gives it a golden hue in the same way. I’ve swapped out the classic haddock for smoked mackerel. The dish is finished with soft boiled eggs and some dill. You could add a few chutneys on the side.

Two sunny dishes to brighten up a dreich day….