TOM Parker Bowles is aware that he could sound like a walking contradiction.

The food writer, and son of Camilla Parker Bowles, knows that writing a book called Let’s Eat Meat and then encouraging people to eat less of the stuff – might sound counter-intuitive.

“You get older and a little bit wiser, and you realise that you don’t have to eat meat every single day,” reasons Parker Bowles, who lives with his wife Sara and their two young children, Lola and Freddy, and is food editor for Esquire magazine and writes a weekly food column for Mail On Sunday.

“Even if you are eating meat every day, it doesn’t have to be a slab of protein in front of you. I do believe that if you eat a little less meat, it means you can afford to buy better and use more of the cuts that are cheaper.

“The book includes a meat-free chapter, as well as one which shows how to use meat as a seasoning, and is also packed with recipes where traditional cuts and offal are the stars.”

It’s clear that while he is a “husband and father first”, he relishes spending time perfecting his recipes.

“For me, happiness is a Saturday in the kitchen with the radio on, just cooking,” he says.

“It relaxes me. I know I talk very fast and have lots of energy, but cooking actually fully relaxes me, it’s very cathartic.”

Here are recipes from Parker Bowles’ new book to try at home.

Gratin of Chicory and Bacon

  • 50g butter
  • 6 heads of chicory (white, red or a combination), discoloured outer leaves removed
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 50g Parmesan, finely grated
  • 100g coarse fresh white breadcrumbs
  • 3tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 100g lean unsmoked bacon rashers, cut into 1cm pieces
  • 300ml double cream
  • Lemon quarters, to serve

Preheat the oven to fan 210C/415F/Gas 8. Generously butter a large gratin dish.

Split the chicory in two, lengthwise. Pack it into the gratin dish in a tight single layer, split side down, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Mix together the Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley and bacon, and scatter evenly over the surface.

Place the dish in the oven and, after a few minutes, turn the temperature down to fan 170C/340F/Gas 5. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and trickle the cream around the sides of the gratin.

Bake for another 30 minutes or so, trickling in more cream if it didn’t all fit in first time, until bubbling and golden. Serve with lemon quarters.

Cornish Pasty (Makes 2 pasties)

For the pastry:

  • 225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • Pinch of salt
  • 50g lard, chilled and diced
  • 50g hard margarine, chilled and cut into cubes

For the filling:

  • 1 potato, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 50g swede, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 115g beef skirt or chuck steak, finely diced
  • Small onion, thinly sliced
  • Salt and ground white pepper
  • Milk or beaten egg to glaze

To make the pastry, mix together the flour and salt, and rub in the fats. Gradually stir in two to three tablespoons of water and bring everything together with your hands to form a smooth, pliable dough. Divide the dough into two balls.

Preheat the oven to fan 180C/350F/Gas 6. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.

On a floured work surface, roll out one ball of dough to form a circle about 20cm across. Slightly off centre of the circle, place a layer of potato, then a layer of swede. Add half the beef, then half the onion, then a pinch of salt and pepper.

Finally, add another thin layer of potato, to stop the meat from drying out. Carefully fold the pastry over and crimp the edges together. Place on the lined baking sheet. Repeat to make the second pasty.

Glaze with a little milk or egg, and make a small hole in the top. Bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot or cold.

  • Let’s Eat Meat: Recipes For Prime Cuts, Cheap Bits And Glorious Scraps Of Meat by Tom Parker Bowles