It’s time to pack away the barbecues, light a fire and have a few friends over for dinner. This gratin of hake recipe will do the trick and impress without too much hard work. It was one of the most popular of the Home Chef recipes. In the restaurant we use it as a starter and as a main course. A lot of people like it as a main on Sundays.

Hake is plentiful and good value. Or, if you like, you could use crab. Like most recipes using hake, you can replace it with other round white fish such as cod or haddock. Dublin Bay prawns are the best in the world. No contest. We are lucky to have fabulous seafood.

Since it is a dinner party, I make no apology for the dessert being full of calories. This decadent cheesecake is fabulously smooth, silky and rich. It is perfect if you want to make something the day before and keep it in the fridge. It is a baked cheesecake and I have got great feedback about this recipe over the years.

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Happy cooking.

Gratin of hake with prawns, spinach and pesto

Serves four

4 x 175g (6oz) hake fillets, pin boned and scaled

16 raw Dublin Bay prawns, peeled and veins removed

125g (4 1/2oz) Mozzarella cheese, grated

4 tsp chilli jam or sweet chilli sauce

4 tbsp chopped fresh basil

4 tbsp pesto

For the spinach

225g (8oz) spinach, stalks removed

50g (2oz) 2oz butter

Pinch caster sugar

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • Preheat the oven to 180oC (350oF/ gas mark 4). Place the hake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, season and carefully arrange the prawns on top. Sprinkle over the basil and then drizzle the chilli jam or sauce on top. Scatter over the mozzarella and season to taste. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

  • To sauté the spinach, heat a pan and add the butter. Once it has stopped foaming, quickly sauté the spinach with the sugar until soft and wilted. Season to taste and drain on kitchen paper to remove the excess moisture. Return to the pan and keep warm.

  • To serve, place a pile of the sautéed spinach on each plate and arrange gratin of hake on top. Drizzle the pesto.

    • Nutella cheesecake

    Serves six to eight

    For the base

    75g (3oz) butter, plus extra for greasing

    250g (9oz) ginger nut biscuits, crushed

    For the filling

    2 x 250 g (9 oz) tubs mascarpone cheese

    1 vanilla pod, split in half and seeds removed

    100g (4 oz) caster sugar

    2 tablespoons cornflour

    3 eggs

    200g (7oz) jar Nutella (chocolate and hazelnut spread)

    Fresh dessert cream, to serve

    • Preheat oven to 160oC (325oF/gas mark 3. To make the base, lightly butter a 23cm (9 inch) spring-form cake tin. Melt the butter in a pan over a gentle heat or in a bowl in the microwave.

    • Add the crushed ginger nut biscuits and mix well. Spread the mixture evenly over the base of the tin, pressing down with the back of a spoon to flatten. Place in fridge to chill for 15 minutes.

    • Place a dish or baking tin of hot water in the oven on the bottom rack; this will stop a skin forming on the cheesecake. Using the paddle attachment on a food processor, place the vanilla seeds, mascarpone cheese, sugar, cornflour, eggs and Nutella in the mixing bowl. Beat until smooth.

    • Pour this mixture onto the biscuit base in the cake tin and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 50-55 minutes until just set around the edges but still a little wobbly in the centre.

    • Turn off the oven, open the door and carefully run a knife around the cake tin, this prevents the cheesecake from splitting in the middle when cooling. Close the oven door and leave for 1 1/2 hours until completely set. Remove from the oven and place in the fridge if not using immediately.

    • To serve, transfer the cheesecake to a cake stand and cut into wedges in front of your guests. Pour some fresh dessert cream onto each plate to serve.