He's cooked for royals and prime ministers - and now Kate Whiting makes herself at home in David Herbert's kitchen for scones and tea, to hear all about the food writer's latest book of delights

In a cosy dining room filled with light, art and floor-to-ceiling shelves of beautiful crockery, Australian cook and writer David Herbert is apologising about the baked goodies on the table in front of us: "They're not the most attractive-looking scones," he says, with a smile.

This is a man who has cooked for the Queen Mother and two Australian Prime Ministers, and worked with Delia Smith and Jamie Oliver, but Herbert is as modest as they come.

His cheese scones, spread liberally with butter on a silver knife, are light, fluffy and impossibly moreish.

We're having afternoon tea (Ceylon Orange Pekoe leaves in an infuser because "teabags are banned in this house") at his West London home to discuss his cookbook, David Herbert's Best Home Cooking, which is a collection of recipes from his weekly column in The Weekend Australian Magazine.

Although the 56-year-old now calls the UK home - he's lived here on and off for decades - he's sent two recipes a week back to Oz for the last 16 years.

Herbert grew up surfing with dolphins and fishing in Nelson Bay, a seaside town on Australia's east coast - but it was cookbooks that fascinated him most.

"I used to go to the library as a kid, when I was eight, nine, 10, and borrow cookbooks from the shelves and go to bed at night thinking about them."

Herbert has now notched up six cookbooks of his own. His latest is aesthetically simple but beautiful - smaller than most, it feels lovely in your hands - with a black cover, a la vintage Delia.

Gluten-Free Strawberry And Hazelnut Meringue

(Serves 8-10)

  • 210g skinned hazelnuts
  • 6 large free-range eggs, separated
  • 180g caster sugar
  • 250ml double cream, whipped
  • 250g strawberries, hulled and halved
  • Icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 170C (150C fan). Grease and line a 24cm springform cake tin.

Place the nuts in a dry frying pan and toast over low heat, shaking the pan, until starting to brown. Cool and then pulse in a food processor until they are coarsely ground.

Using an electric mixer or hand-held electric beaters, whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar until pale and very thick - this should take about three to four minutes. Gently stir in the ground hazelnuts.

Whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl with hand-held electric beaters until firm peaks form, then gently fold them into the hazelnut mixture with a large metal spoon. Spoon into the prepared tin, then transfer to the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until firm to the touch and slightly shrunk away from the side of the tin.

Leave to cool for about 15 minutes, then carefully remove the outside of the tin and cool completely on a wire rack (it will probably sink a little).

When the meringue is cold, cut it in half horizontally and fill with whipped cream and half the strawberries. Dust the top with icing sugar and decorate with the remaining strawberries.

David Herbert's Best Home Cooking is published by Penguin Lantern, priced £18.99. Available now