“The spiciness of the black pudding is essential in this dish to accentuate the sweetness of the apple and squash. If you like the taste, a few fennel seeds give it a real kick, but feel free to leave them out. Such a simple dish to make, even as a main course.”

Serves 2

Prep time: 20 minutes; cooking time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 Bramley apple, peeled, cored and diced

I tablespoon sugar

1/2 bulb of nice, clean fennel, peeled and quartered

2 slices of good black pudding, I like Simon Howie or Stornoway, cut into bite-size pieces

1 fair-sized cox apple, quartered and diced into 1cm cubes, skin on

A few thick wedges of butternut squash, seeds and skin removed

A few stalks of curly parsley

100ml sunflower oil

A few fennel fronds

1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds, toasted

Good salt and pepper

1 tablespoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil

A few fennel seeds

METHOD

Heat the oven to 180°C.

Cook the Bramley apple, sugar and 2 tablespoons of water on a moderate hob until a rustic purée is made. This will take about 15-20 minutes.

Bring a small pan of water to the boil. Add salt, then blanch the squash and fennel for 3 to 5 minutes until just soft. Drain and pat dry.

Heat the rapeseed oil in a non-stick, oven-proof pan on a medium heat. Add the squash and fennel, season with salt, pepper and a few fennel seeds, turning a few times then place in the oven for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile pour the sunflower oil into a small pot and take to a moderate heat on the hob, then carefully add the curly parsley. Fry for a minute until it's crisp, then leave on some kitchen paper.

Remove the squash and the fennel from the oven and add the black pudding and Cox apple. Return to the oven for a further 5 minutes or so until all is hot and cooked. Place the pumpkin seeds on a non-stick oven tray and place in the oven to toast – keeping an eye on them.

To serve, spread a tablespoon of apple purée in the centre of each plate, then arrange the fennel, squash, black pudding and crispy parsley. Top with the toasted pumpkin seeds and a season with freshly-ground black pepper and good salt.