He’s become a dab hand in the kitchen but it wasn’t always that way. Nick talks about his culinary exploits, his time with top chef, Gordon Ramsay, and his love of water buffalo steak!

‘Years ago, when I knew almost nothing about cooking – even less than I know now! – I used to cook the most horrible curries that have ever disgraced a kitchen. I would quite literally chuck anything I could find in the cupboard or in the fridge into the pot – loads of herbs, spices, mustard, orange juice, honey – and hope that it would all come together somehow. You really don’t want to know how rough it tasted.

‘It’s only after working in TV and meeting loads of great chefs – like Gordon Ramsay – that I have come to realise that, generally speaking, less is definitely more. Simplicity can be the key to a successful meal.

‘So, if I’m cooking for family or friends, which doesn’t happen much as I spend so little time at home, I have two dishes that I’ve mastered. Well, when I say mastered, what I mean is that people seem to enjoy eating them!’

My favourite wines
‘When it comes to wine, I have two distinct favourites that I can heartily recommend. The first is a red called Saint-Emilion, which is grown in the oldest wine area of the Bordeaux region in France. In fact, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), has placed the site on the World Heritage List.

‘Saint–Emilion wines are considered the most robust of the Bordeaux. They are generous, deeply coloured, and reach their maturity much quicker than other red Bordeaux.

‘My second choice is a great white called Montrachet from the Chassagne-Montrachet vineyards in the Côte de Beaune region of France. It is renowned as one of the very best in Burgundy, and is highly rated in France itself.’

A passion for lamb
‘My fave dish is my special slow-cooked lamb. I tend to use a leg of lamb, some rosemary and thyme, loads of great veg like parsnips, potatoes and celeriac and to put it all in one deep roasting tin or casserole pot. Then I add a bottle of decent white wine and a bottle of water and slow cook it for five to six hours. The end result is amazing – the lamb just crumbles in your mouth.’

Simply pasta
‘My next culinary feast is a pasta dish that’s a cinch to make. Take some fresh pasta and fold in some ricotta cheese, pear and pine nuts – or you could try spinach and gorgonzola – to make some delicious ravioli. If I have time, I can make the pasta, but I do tend to buy it from the supermarket. These days you can get some decent produce.

The perfect meal
‘If you were to ask me what my ideal three-course meal would be, I would start with dressed Cornish crab. It has an unbeatable freshness to it. Then I’d have a sizeable water buffalo fillet steak with dauphinois potatoes and peas and round it all off with a rhubarb crumble smothered in a rich custard. Perfect!

‘Just as a footnote, I can’t get enough fresh fruit for breakfast and I usually have a fruit smoothie too – just in case!’

Gordon’s my favourite chef
‘If I could get one chef to cook for me, I would pick Gordon Ramsay. But, be warned, don’t ever make the mistake of calling him a “TV chef” like I did when I appeared on his hugely entertaining show, The F Word.

‘He was quick to point out that he was actually, “a proper chef that’s on TV!” A very important distinction to make if you’ve earned three Michelin Stars, and 10 in total, I think!

‘Being on the show was so much fun. I foolishly took on Gordon in the food challenge that’s a popular feature of the programme. Basically, I had to cook a similar dish to Gordon to see which one tasted better in a blind tasting. I remember Gordon telling his maître d’: “Don’t drop Nick’s plate, it’ll make it better looking!”’

MY ultimate dinner party
‘There are many people I’ve had huge fun dining in or out with. Here are just a few of them…

‘Kim Medcalf, who plays Sam Mitchell on EastEnders,

Dawn Steele from Monarch of the Glen,’

5 ‘Jon Culshaw from Dead Ringers and Ade Edmondson, from just about everything that has been on TV for the past 30 years!’

‘If I could select one person who I would love to sit down and chat with over a meal it would be ex-President, Bill Clinton.

I think he would be fascinating to talk to about many, many subjects!’