Cod brandade glazed with red peppers provides a romantic meal for two.

Just talking about food with chef Jean-Christophe Novelli is a sensual experience.

It's not just his dark looks, and chocolate brown eyes, but his passion and enthusiasm as he talks in his sexy, simmering French accent about the importance of "using ze flavours, and experimenting. It should be fun and sooo eezay."

Even those with a serious allergy to a hot stove would find it difficult to resist rushing to tangle with some pans and rustling up a feast just to impress him.

So the man who's been described as able to make women swoon at the flick of his whisk' seems the ideal person to turn to for advice about preparing a romantic meal for Valentine's Day.

The multi-Michelin-starred chef believes simple and easy and bursting with flavour is the recipe for success on Valentine's Day and for the rest of the year also, come to that.

He has gathered together a treasure trove of accessible and inspiring recipes in his new book, Everyday Novelli (Headline, £20) from which a lover's heart might be won by serving two of his dishes - a cod brandade glazed with red peppers and a pudding which can be prepared in advance and is "probably the most sensual recipe in my book" - iced white chocolate with whisky.

WHAT DO I NEED?

Serves two

This dish works equally well if you use salmon or haddock. Use a tender fillet of cod. If the fish has the skin on, ask the fishmonger to skin it for you. When making the mashed potato, Novelli uses floury potatoes - ideal for mashing.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

200g fresh raw cod fillet, skinned and flaked

8-10 fresh basil leaves, torn

1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped

10ml olive oil

lemon juice

100g hot mashed potatoes

20ml double cream

15g unsalted butter

tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 red pepper, stalk removed, halved and deseeded

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs fresh thyme, stalks removed

salt and freshly ground black pepper

pinch caster sugar

2tbsp water

2 slices Cheddar cheese

pinch paprika

To serve:

1 baguette

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C/Gas 4. In a pestle and mortar, pound together the cod, basil, garlic, one teaspoon of the olive oil and a dash of lemon juice until it forms a paste. Alternatively, blitz in a blender or food processor.

Turn into a bowl and add the hot mashed potatoes, cream, butter and nutmeg. Beat to combine and set aside.

Heat the remaining olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan with a lid, and when very hot, add the red pepper, together with the bay leaf, thyme, seasoning and sugar.

Once the peppers have slightly browned, after 3-4 minutes, add the water to create steam. Cover immediately with a lid and put straight into the preheated oven for two minutes.

Remove from the oven and fill each pepper half with the fish paste. Cover with a thin slice of cheese and sprinkle with paprika.

Return to the hot oven and bake for a further 12 minutes. Preheat the grill until hot. Cut the baguette in half lengthways and toast under the preheated grill until golden brown.

Serve the peppers with the toasted baguette.

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