NATHAN Outlaw may just be the nicest chef in the business. The Michelin-starred restaurateur and fish expert talks to Taste about his latest book, Home Kitchen

Apparently, Nathan Outlaw still can't quite master the art of roasting a chicken.

This is a man who has a two Michelin star restaurant, was mentored by Rick Stein and has written four cookery books.

And he can't roast a chicken?!

"It always turns out differently every time," says the Kent-born, Cornwall-based chef, with a laid-back, self-deprecating laugh.

Don't be taken in; Outlaw can handle chicken, he just doesn't do carbon copy, identikit chickens - but when you're best known for your seafood, who cares?

His latest book then, Home Kitchen, is something of a detour. "I wanted to write a book that covered all the bases if you had no other cookery book - a book that had all the recipes you needed for life."

It features some fish, of course, but is also packed with nostalgic classics like toad-in-the-hole, soups, risottos, how to do a proper Sunday roast (yes, chicken included), plus desserts - including his daughter's sticky toffee pudding - which is to be expected when Outlaw's last-night-on-earth meal is, without question, trifle.

Throughout the writing process, he had his children (Jacob and Jessica) in mind, imagining the kind of cookbook they'll need when, eventually, they go off to university or college.

"If they took this one book," he says, "there'd be enough in there for them to survive."

Keen to dive in and cook some fish? Try one of these Outlaw recipes at home...

:: BAKED POLLOCK WITH A CHEDDAR AND HERB CRUST

(Serves 4)

4 pollock fillets

75g of white breadcrumbs

1 garlic clove

4tbsp of parsley

1tbsp of dill

Salt and pepper

25g of butter, melted

50g of cheddar, finely grated

Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7. Season the pollock with salt and pepper on both sides and lay skin-side down on a well-oiled baking tray.

Put the breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, dill and garlic into a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the melted butter and mix well with a fork. Divide the mixture between the fillets and press on top of each piece in a thick, even layer.

Drizzle over a little olive oil and bake for 10-12 minutes (eight minutes per inch of fish thickness) or until the crust is crisp and lightly golden, and the fish is cooked through.

Lift onto warm plates and serve.

:: GRILLED SARDINES WITH PAPRIKA MAYONNAISE

(Serves 4)

8 whole sardines

2tbsp of olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the mayonnaise:

2 egg yolks

1/2 lemon, juiced

200ml of olive oil

1 handful of French parsely (or flat leaf), finely chopped

1 handful of chives, finely chopped

1 handful of parsley, finely chopped

1tsp smoked paprika

Salt and pepper

For the pickled vegetables:

300g of shallots

300g of carrots

300g of red pepper

150ml of white wine vinegar

150ml of white wine

150g of sugar

150ml water

For the pickled vegetables, thinly slice the shallots, carrots and red pepper (discarding the core and seeds). Combine the vinegar, white wine and sugar in a bowl, add 150ml of water and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the vegetables, mix well and set aside to marinate for one hour at least.

To make the mayonnaise, whisk together the egg yolks, two teaspoons of the lemon juice and some salt and freshly ground black pepper in a bowl until smooth and creamy.

Add about two teaspoons of the oil and whisk vigorously to incorporate. Continue adding the oil very slowly in a thin stream, whisking continuously, until all the oil has been incorporated. Stir in the herbs and paprika to taste and set aside.

To cook the sardines, preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6, and heat a chargrill pan until very hot. Rub the sardines all over with the olive oil and season with salt and black pepper.

Cook the sardines for one minute on each side, or until browned, then transfer to a rack in the oven for a further four to five minutes, until cooked through. Alternatively, you could cook the sardines on the barbecue before finishing in the oven.

Place two sardines on each serving plate. Drain the pickled vegetables and pile them on the plates next to the sardines. Finish with a dollop of smoked paprika mayonnaise and serve