Starters can often make a meal, and these days there are so many exciting tastes for people to try. Going around the country I am amazed to see so many interesting markets and food shops. We are coming on in leaps and bounds.

The great thing about these starters is that they can be made ahead of time. The pâté will keep for three to four days in the fridge.

People appreciate eating things that can easily be bought, but that you have gone to the trouble of making. Having it done ahead of time frees you to chat, or to have time to prepare the main course.

Taste is very important in a starter. The portions are small, but each of these dishes is interesting to the palate. I find people ask me a lot about presentation at demos and the mixed fish platter always looks fabulous.

Each of these recipes comes from my new book The Nation’s Favourite Food. So they are from my collection of tried, trusted and much loved meals. I hope you enjoy them.

Happy cooking.

Chicken Liver Pâté with Onion Jam

Serves six

400g (14oz) of chicken livers, trimmed

300ml (½ pint) of milk

225g (8oz) of unsalted butter

3 shallots, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

½ tsp of chopped fresh thyme

1 tbsp of port

1 tbsp of Madeira

4 eggs

1 tbsp of cream

Toast triangles, to serve

Lightly dressed salad leaves, to serve

Onion jam

25g (1oz) of butter

2 red onions, thinly sliced

50g (2oz) of light muscovado sugar

75ml of red wine

3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp of dark soy sauce

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 To make the pâté, soak the chicken livers in milk and leave them overnight in the fridge. The next day, drain off the milk and rinse the livers under cold running water, then dry thoroughly with kitchen paper.

2 Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add 25g (1oz) of the butter. Tip in the shallots, garlic and thyme and cook for a couple of minutes, until softened. Pour over the port and Madeira and cook for another minute to burn off the alcohol. Remove from the heat and leave it to cool. Melt 75g (3oz) of butter and set it aside to cool.

3 Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F/gas mark three). Line a 450g (1lb) loaf tin with cling film (you can also use a pyrex dish).

4 Purée the chicken livers in a food processor for about three minutes, until well blended. Add the shallot mixture and blend again for 30 seconds. Add the eggs, cream and melted butter through the feeder tube. Blend again briefly and then season generously.

5 Pass the chicken liver mixture through a sieve and pour it into the lined loaf tin or pyrex dish. Cover tightly with tin foil and place in a roasting tin half-filled with hot water (otherwise known as a bain-marie). Place in the oven for about one hour, or until the pâté is set. Leave it to cool and then put it in the fridge for two hours to chill, or overnight if possible.

6 Melt the remaining 100g (4oz) butter in a small pan and then pour it into a jug. Leave to cool a little and settle. Pour a layer over the set chicken liver pâté, leaving behind any milky white sediment. This will preserve the pâté.

7 To make the onion jam, melt the butter in a heavy-based pan. Add the red onions, sugar, red wine, vinegar and soy sauce. Sauté for five minutes over a medium heat, tossing occasionally. Sprinkle over one tablespoon of water, then reduce the temperature and cook gently for 25 to 30 minutes. The onions should make a soft, sticky, sweet and sour jam. Season to taste and leave it to cool. Transfer to a bowl, then cover with cling film and chill until needed.

8 To serve, carefully remove the layer of butter that has preserved the pâté and then scoop out spoonfuls or cut into slices and arrange on plates with the onion jam, toast triangles and salad leaves.

Mixed fish platter with pickled cucumber and red onion

Serves four to six

Pickled cucumber and red onion

4 tbsp of rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp of caster sugar

1 baby cucumber, thin strips halved lengthways

1 red onion, cut into fine wedges

Smoked mackerel pâté

225g (8oz) of smoked mackerel fillets

73g (3oz) of cream cheese

1 tbsp of snipped fresh chives, extra to garnish

1 tbsp of creamed horseradish

1 tsp of English mustard

Juice of ½ a lemon

Dash of Tabasco

Garlic stuffed mussels

450g (1lb) of fresh mussels

50g (2oz) of butter

2 garlic cloves, crushed

50g (2oz) of white breadcrumbs

1 tbsp of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Sizzling seafood

4 tbsp of olive oil

A knob of butter

1 red chilli, halved, seeded and cut into rings

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

12 large raw Dublin Bay prawns, peeled and cleaned

12 crab claws

½ a lemon, pips removed

1 tbsp of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve

225g (8oz) of organic smoked salmon

8 to 12 slices of MacNean wheaten bread

Lemon wedges, to garnish

1 To make the pickled cucumber and red onion, place the vinegar in a serving bowl and stir in the sugar to dissolve. Add the cucumber strips and onion wedges and toss to coat. Cover with cling film and set aside for at least 10 minutes (up to eight hours) in the fridge.

2 To make the mackerel pâté, remove the skin from the mackerel fillets and discard any bones, then break up the flesh into a bowl. Add the cream cheese, chives, horseradish, mustard, lemon juice and Tabasco. Mix thoroughly until well combined and season to taste, then transfer to a serving bowl. Chill until needed.

3 To make the garlic stuffed mussels, first tap any opened mussels on the counter and discard those that don’t close. Place the mussels in a shallow, heavy-based pan. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over a high heat for three to five minutes, shaking occasionally, until all the mussels have opened (discard any that don’t).

4 Remove the top shell from each mussel and arrange the bottom shell and flesh in a shallow ovenproof dish. Melt the butter in a small pan. Stir in the garlic, breadcrumbs, parsley and lemon juice. Place a little of the mixture onto each of the mussels. When ready to serve, place them under a medium grill for three to five minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

5 To make the sizzling seafood, heat the olive oil and the knob of butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Once the butter has stopped sizzling, add the chilli and garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, until the garlic is lightly golden. Tip in the prepared prawns and sauté for another few minutes, until tender.

6 When the prawns start to change their colour and begin to curl, tip in the crab claws and allow them to warm through, but be careful not to overcook them. Add a good squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle over the parsley, tossing to coat. Season to taste and tip into a warmed serving bowl.

7 To serve, garnish the mackerel pâté with chives and put on the table with the bowl of pickled cucumber and red onion, the dish with the garlic stuffed mussels and a bowl of the sizzling seafood.

8 Arrange the smoked salmon and wheaten bread on a board and garnish with the lemon wedges. CL