This week, chef David Faunch from The Ship in Wandsworth has sent us the ultimate summer dessert recipe. It might look daunting but it's all easy to follow and the end result is stunning and seasonal. David's top tip is to test the sweetness of each element before you put it together.

Poached rhubarb with vanilla Bavarois and rhubarb sorbet

Ingredients: For the Bavarois: 250ml double cream; 250ml milk; 3 vanilla pods, split and scraped; 120g egg yolks; 100g caster sugar; 12g gelatine leaves, soaked in cold water; 400ml whipping cream, whipped.

For the stock syrup: 400g caster sugar, 900ml water, 100ml white wine, juice of 1/2 lemon, 2 vanilla pods, split lengthways.

For the rest: 40g Amaretti biscuits, 100ml sherry, 400g rhubarb.

1) For the Bavarois: Pour cream and milk into a saucepan. Add the vanilla pod seeds and the split pods, and bring to a slow simmer. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for 15 mins to infuse.

2) Whisk egg yolks and sugar together until pale white and fluffy, then pour in the vanilla and cream mixture, stirring gently all the time with a wooden spoon. Cook over a low heat, still stirring, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, and then take off the heat.

3) Add the soaked gelatine to the mixture, allow to melt, then pass through a fine sieve into a large pouring jug set over ice. Fold in half the cream, followed by the rest. Place in the fridge to set.

4) For the Stock Syrup: Heat sugar, water and wine with lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and strain through a fine sieve or muslin. Scrape out the inside of the vanilla pods into the syrup, mixing well.

5) Peel and chop rhubarb, then poach in the syrup until tender. Remove from the syrup. For the sorbet add an extra 400g of caster sugar to the syrup and bring to the boil for 5 mins. Strain through a fine sieve. Leave to cool, then churn in an ice-cream machine and set in freezer.

6) Divide the Amaretti biscuits between 4 glasses, soak evenly with the sherry, place the poached rhubarb on top and then pour the Bavarois mixture into the glasses, set in the fridge for 6 hours.

To serve, place a small scoop of sorbet on top of the Bavarois and garnish with a small sprig of fresh mint. A guaranteed show-stopper!

If the glorious sunshine doesn’t last this weekend, abandon the BBQ and head inside for some Bank Holiday burgers. This week, chef Nick Stones from Harrison’s in Balham has shared his recipe for super-healthy salmon burgers. They're easy to make in advance and salmon is packed full of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Served as burgers, the kids will never realise they're eating such a healthy lunch!

Seared salmon burgers

Ingredients: 350g salmon, 1/2 tsp grated ginger, 1/2 tsp chopped red chilli, 1 tsp chopped coriander, a squeeze of lemon juice, 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest, mayonnaise, wasabi paste, burger buns, baby gem lettuce.

1) Make sure the salmon is skinned and boned, then cut into small cubes. Add the ginger, chilli, coriander, lemon juice and zest. Mix well, shape into patties and chill in the fridge for half an hour.
2) Heat some oil in a pan until it starts to smoke, add the burgers and cook for 2 minutes (medium) or 4 minutes (well done).
3) Warm the burger buns in the oven and make the wasabi mayo by mixing a teaspoon of paste in to some regular mayonnaise.
4) Spread the mayo on the hot salmon patties and assemble the burgers with the warm buns and baby gem lettuce leaves.

If you don’t fancy the wasabi mayonnaise, you could try lime mayo or sweet chilli sauce instead. Serve with chunky chips or sweet potato fries and a jug of minted lemonade or Pimms. Delicious, rain or shine!

Mackerel is a fantastically moist, flavoursome fish that makes for an inexpensive and healthy meal. It’s an oily fish so it’s packed full of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12. This super  simple 3-step recipe for mackerel paté comes from Kensal Green’s best-loved gastropub, Paradise.

Mackerel paté

Ingredients: 4 mackerel fillets, skinned and boned; 60g of Greek yogurt; 15ml of Sherry vinegar; 20g grain mustard; 30g mayo; 20g horseradish.

1) Shred the mackerel into a bowl using fingers or a fork.
2) Add the Greek yoghurt, sherry vinegar, mustard, mayo and horseradish one at a time, mixing continually until combined.
3) Chill in the fridge for 12-15 minutes before serving. (If serving as a starter, you can put the paté into individual ramekins).

Serve with Melba toast or sourdough bread with cornichons (little French gherkins) and a chilled glass of Sauternes. If you’re having a party this summer, you could serve the paté on crostini with red onion confit or caper mayo as a stylish pre-dinner nibble. Delicious!

This healthy and flavour-packed fish dish looks impressive but is surprisingly simple to make. A neighbour’s grandmother cooked this dish for chef Anirudh Arora when he was growing up in South India and it’s now on his menu at Moti Mahal. You can buy banana leaves at some ethnic food shops and markets and, in London, at the New Loon Moon and Loon Fung supermarkets in Chinatown.

Keralan sea bass with masala crab

Ingredients: 2 sea bass fillets (skin on); 150g crab meat; 100g shallots; 1 tsp red chilli powder; 1 tsp garam masala; chopped green chillies (to taste); small bunch of coriander, chopped; juice of 2 lemons; 5 curry leaves; 150g chopped tomatoes; an inch of ginger, grated; 50ml tamarind pulp; 50g grated coconut; one banana leaf.

1) Slice the shallots and warm a tablespoon of oil in a pan. Gently fry the shallots and curry leaves until the shallots are soft and translucent.
2) Add the garam masala, red chilli powder and chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes break down and become pulpy.
3) Add the coconut, crab and tamarind. Mix well. Remove from heat.
4) Add coriander, ginger and green chillies. Keep aside and cool.
5) Rub the fish with some salt and chilli powder. Spoon a thin layer of the crab mix on to the skin side of the fillet and wrap in the banana leaf. Cook on a griddle on both sides for 4-5 minutes on a slow flame.

If you can’t find banana leaves, you could pan-fry the fish and spoon over the crab mix as a sauce. Serve with fragrant rice and don’t forget to buy poppadoms and your favourite pickles or chutneys. Why not serve a spiced ginger Mojito as a pre-dinner drink? Exotic and delicious!

This week’s Friday Feast recipe comes from Vietnamese mini-chain, Pho. With fresh and healthy ingredients wrapped up in rice paper,  they’re perfect for eating al fresco and great for packed lunches and picnics. Why not lay the ingredients out at your next barbecue and let your guests roll their own?

Vietnamese summer rolls

Ingredients: finely shredded lettuce; mint leaves; coriander; carrot or radish, sliced finedly; cooked thin vermicelli rice noodles (snip to short lengths); 22cm rice paper sheets; cooked tiger prawns sliced lengthways or sliced cooked chicken.

1) Wash your hands and lay out a clean damp towel to roll on. Dip the rice paper sheets in warm water to soften them slightly.
2) Place mint leaves in a lime across the lower third of the rice paper.
3) Lay prawns or chicken across the entire width of the rice paper.
4) Add some shredded lettuce, herbs, carrot, radish and noodles.
5) Roll up, away from you, tucking in the ends to create a spring roll shape. Store chilled under a damp cloth until you're ready to eat.
6) Serve with nuoc cham or peanut sauce for dipping.

If you struggle with rolling up, don't over-stuff them and check out this video for tips. Give it a try and let us know how you get on!

If all the food blogs and culinary tweets are anything to go by, toptable users aren’t just regular restaurant-goers – they’re also keen cooks. With this in mind, we'll be bringing you the Friday Feast – top tips and simple recipes from celeb chefs and top rated restaurants.

This week’s recipe is from Marcus Wareing, who loves the flavour combination so much he named his most recent book after it. It’s surprisingly easy, using a few store cupboard ingredients, so why not give it a try over the Bank Holiday weekend?

Nutmeg and Custard cream ‘yo yos’ – makes 12.

Ingredients:  For the icing: 80g unsalted butter, softened; 75g icing sugar; 2 tablespoons custard powder.
Biscuits: 150g unsalted butter, softened; 40g icing sugar; 165g plain flour; 2 tablespoons custard powder, 1 nutmeg.

1) Preheat your oven to 170°C. Cream the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Sift the custard powder and flour together then mix into the creamed butter.
2) Roll into a sausage shape, approximately 4cm in diameter, and wrap tightly in clingfilm. Refrigerate until firm then slice into 24 slices and lay on a greased baking tray. Grate the nutmeg over the top of the biscuits then bake for 15-20 minutes until pale golden. 
3) For the icing; cream the ingredients together until fluffy. When the biscuits are cold, sandwich together with the icing and leave to set.

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