Mini Toad In The Holes and two other new recipes from The Hairy Bikers

Well, that and kings of the cookbook: They now have more than 20 tomes under their belts, and The Hairy Bikers' British Classics is their latest.

In fact, it's hard to think of anything they're not kings of. Perhaps the biggest of all though is working friendship - when I meet them for the launch of British Classics, the pair could easily be mistaken for brothers.

They've been working side by side for two decades, and are so comfortable together it's clear these men are best mates - a friendship forged over ovens and hot plates and thousands of miles on their trusty bikes (which are called Doris and Gina Lollobrigida, in case you're wondering).

Luckily, King, 52, reveals that coming up with new recipe ideas has "never been a desert" for the duo. In fact, whittling down recipes to the shortlist for the book was harder work, because they are always thinking of ways to improve or tweak traditional dishes.

The book is a great mix of hearty, meaty favourites and comforting veggie offerings. It'll be accompanied by a nationwide tour in 2019, too - which will also be a good chance for the pair, who now split their time between Sittingbourne and the Loire Valley (Myers) and St Albans and Australia (King), to spend some proper time together.

They're keen for people to realise that fast food doesn't have to mean you don't cook it yourself. Myers, for example, grows basil in his garden in France and now has plenty of homemade pesto in the cupboard ready to make "Italian fast food", pasta pesto. "I've used really good oil. And I know now, if I just cook some pasta, with some purple sprouting broccoli to bulk it out, then put my pesto on... got a dinner in three minutes," says the 61-year-old.

Myers doesn't live far from another British Classic - Dick Strawbridge. Has he hung out with Dick and wife Angel, stars of Escape To The Chateau?

"Yeah I have! He got in touch online and we (Myers and his wife) were passing through. We ended up staying for supper, Dick cooked salmon fishcakes. They gave me some eggs to take home and I made an omelette. Then my wife went down and helped Angel in one of her programmes, making bunting for one of the weddings."

So how do two very busy men like Myers and King keep their friendship happy? "It's safe to say that we're both family to each other," King muses. "We've been through a lot since we met. Ups and downs."

As well as career high points, that's included their share of health scares (Myers needed surgery to remove a cyst from his brain in the late-Nineties, while King suffered a potentially life-threatening brain aneurysm in 2014, and both men famously shed seven stone between them after being warned that their weight was a bit of a ticking time bomb).

They've travelled a lot together too. Once, they were away with Myers' wife on Valentine's Day. "It was awkward when it came to paying. It felt only right that I should pay because it was her Valentine's night!" he recalls with a laugh.

And the bikes are by no means forgotten, as King assures with a grin: "It's absolutely part of our DNA. Do you want to see my chopper?"

He shows me his new bike, and explains that the exhaust is so loud he can, well, break wind and nobody hears. It's a brilliant example of how down-to-earth these guys are.

They're British Classics themselves, really - an observation that makes Myers laugh ("That's flattering!").

While they agree that a person can't call themselves a national treasure, they appreciate that they've been part of people's lives for a long time now. It's amazing, says Myers, when students come to book signings and "they've grown up with us. We've been around a while now."

"What we can say is we are incredibly privileged," adds King. "What better way to do this than with your best mate?"

Here three of their recipes to try at home.

MINI TOAD IN THE HOLES

A teeny take on a tasty old favourite.

"We've given you toad in the hole recipes in the past and we've been trying to think how to make this awesome favourite even better. Well, we're pleased to tell you that we can," say Si King and Dave Myers, who revealed this new and improved take on the dish in their new book, The Hairy Bikers' British Classics.

"Slicing the sausage really helps maximise the flavour and we think these mini versions - you could call them tadpoles in the hole - make perfect starters or canapes, if you're feeling fancy. Kids love them too. And if you're mega hungry, just eat three!"

Ingredients

(Makes 8-12)

1tbsp (heaped) lard or goose or duck fat

1 large onion, sliced

8 pork sausages

Sea salt

For the batter

150g plain flour

1tsp dried sage

2 eggs, beaten

275ml whole milk

Method:

1. First make the batter. Put the flour into a bowl and whisk it lightly to get rid of any lumps, then add a generous pinch of salt and the dried sage. Make a well in the middle and add the eggs. Work the eggs into the flour, then gradually add the milk.

2. Alternatively, put everything in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Leave the batter to stand for an hour.

3. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Divide the lard or goose or duck fat between two four-hole Yorkshire pudding tins or one 12-hole tin. Put the tins in the oven to heat up.

4. Bring a small pan of water to the boil. Add a pinch of salt and the onion slices. Simmer them for three minutes, then drain thoroughly. Cut the sausages into rounds.

5. Divide the onion and sausages between the tins. Put the tins back in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, until the sausages have started to look nice and brown.

6. Remove the tins from the oven. Pour in the batter around the sausages and onion - there should be just enough batter to reach the top of each hole. Bake for a further 20 minutes until the Yorkshire puddings have risen and are a dark golden-brown.

7. Serve hot straight from the oven - with some gravy if you like.

VEGETABLE GARDEN RISOTTO

Get some green goodness with this rich recipe.

"For many people, including us, risotto is a go-to supper dish throughout the year. This recipe, featuring lots of beautiful British veggies, is perfect for the spring, when asparagus makes its first appearance, although it's fine to use frozen peas and beans if you like." say Si King and Dave Myers, aka the Hairy Bikers, who feature the recipe in their new book, The Hairy Bikers' British Classics.

"The cheese really lifts the flavour and the minted oil adds the finishing touch. If making this for two, just half the quantity of rice and liquid and add the amount of veg you want."

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

250g podded fresh or frozen broad beans

50g butter

1tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3-4 thyme sprigs

1 long strip of lemon zest

1 bay leaf

150g risotto rice

150ml dry white wine

750ml hot vegetable stock

100g fresh runner beans, cut into long thin strips

100g podded fresh or frozen peas

1 bunch of asparagus, cut into short lengths

100g feta cheese, drained and crumbled

Sea salt and black pepper

Parmesan shavings to serve (optional)

For the minted olive oil

1tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves

2tbsp olive oil

To make the minted oil, mix the mint and olive oil, then set it aside.

Method

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the broad beans and bring back to the boil, then cook for one minute. Drain the beans and run them under cold water to cool, then remove their greyish skins and set aside.

2. Melt 25g of the butter with the tablespoon of oil in a large pan and fry the onion for a few minutes until softened, but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes, then stir in the thyme, lemon zest, bay leaf and rice and cook for a few seconds longer until the rice is glistening.

3. Pour the wine into the pan and cook over a medium heat until the liquid has reduced by half. Slowly start adding the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring well in between each addition. Simmer for two to three minutes or until the liquid has almost all been absorbed before adding more. Continue to cook and add stock for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender.

4. Meanwhile, bring a separate pan of water to the boil. Add the runner beans and cook them for three minutes, or until tender. Drain, then tip the beans back into the pan and toss with a small knob of butter and plenty of pepper.

5. Remove the thyme and lemon zest from the rice and discard. Stir in the broad beans, peas and asparagus with the remaining stock and cook for 3 minutes until tender, stirring regularly. Remove from the heat and stir in the feta. Season with salt and pepper, then cover with a lid and set aside for a few moments.

6. Add the remaining butter to the risotto and stir. Serve, topped with some runner beans, minted olive oil and shavings of Parmesan, if using.

PLUM PAVLOVA

Seasonal and warming - a Bikers' take on a British classic.

"British plums are the best, so make good use of them in the autumn and whip up this truly awesome pavlova. This meringue marvel is a gift from our friends down under and a pleasure to behold," state the Hairy Bikers of their take on the popular fruity dessert.

Here's how to whip one up at home...

Ingredients

(Serves 8)

5 egg whites

1 tsp ground cinnamon

250g caster sugar

1tsp white wine vinegar

Cherries

100g dried cherries

100ml kirsch

For the spiced plums

200ml red wine

Juice of 1 orange

75g light brown sugar

1 cinnamon stick

A few cardamom pods, lightly crushed

A few allspice berries, lightly crushed

1 strip of thinly pared orange zest

8 ripe plums, stoned and quartered

To assemble

300ml double or whipping cream

1tbsp icing sugar

1/2tsp cinnamon (optional)

Method

1. First make the meringue. Preheat the oven to 150°C/Fan 130°C/Gas 2. Draw a circle of about 23cm in diameter on a sheet of baking paper and place this on a baking tray.

2. Beat the egg whites with a hand-held electric whisk, until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed from the bowl.

3. Mix the cinnamon with the sugar, then slowly add this to the egg whites. Add a tablespoon at a time to start with and then slightly more, beating in between each addition, until the meringue is stiff and glossy. Sprinkle over the vinegar and fold it in.

4. Use a few blobs of the meringue to secure the baking paper to the baking tray, then pile the rest into the marked circle. Make a slight indentation in the middle and allow the meringue to form peaks around the side.

5. Bake the meringue in the oven for about an hour and 15 minutes, to an hour and a half. It should be crisp round the sides but with some give in the middle. Turn off the oven and leave the meringue in there to cool completely.

6. To prepare the cherries, put them in a small saucepan with the kirsch. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer until the cherries are soft and plump and most of the kirsch has been absorbed.

7. To make the spiced plums, put the wine, orange juice, sugar, spices and orange zest in a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes until the mixture is syrupy. Add the plums and poach them in the liquid for a few minutes, or until soft but still holding their shape.

8. Remove the plums from the liquid, peeling off the skins as you go - they should just fall off. Strain the cooking liquid.

9. To assemble, whip the cream and add the icing sugar and the cinnamon, if using, then stir in a couple of tablespoons of the plum liquid and the cherries. Spoon the cream over the meringue base, top with the plums and drizzle over any remaining liquid.

* The Hairy Bikers' British Classics by Si King and Dave Myers is published by Seven Dials in hardback, priced £22. Available now.