He then became a commis chef at the Grosvenor House Hotel and the Dorchester Hotel. At 22, he became head chef at the Candlewick Room Restaurant in the City. Four years later, he was head chef at Le Caprice and is now chef director of both Le Caprice and The Ivy. He collaborated with A A Gill on The Ivy – The Restaurant and Its Recipes, and his own cookbook, Eat Up: Food for Children of All Ages, will be out in paperback in March 2003

Mark Hix was born in Bridport in 1962. He collaborated with A A Gill on The Ivy ­ The Restaurant and Its Recipes, and his own cookbook, Eat Up: Food for Children of All Ages, will be out in paperback in March 2003.

What will you be eating on Christmas Day? And who’s doing the cooking? Sue Stansfield, by e-mailI will be up north with Suzie, my ex-wife, and the children I imagine we’ll be eating turkey and trimmings My choice would be suckling pig or goose. But as I’m not in control of the lunch, I’d rather not cause any family disturbances by going alternative. The last time they let me loose in the kitchen goes back a few years, to the time that Fred, my late father-in-law, and I went to the pub, and when we got back the turkey was still raw We ended up putting the breasts under the grill It was good, though. What’s the secret to getting roast potatoes crisp on the outside? Julia Stephenson, SwanseaFirst, you need to buy potatoes that are floury not waxy.

This can be difficult as most types seem to be labelled as multipurpose these days, and different types of potatoes behave differently at different times of the year, so check with your greengrocer, but generally, potatoes that mash well will be fluffy and crisp when roasted. Roast potatoes need boiling first in salted water until they are pretty much cooked all the way through. Drain them off in a colander and then return them to the pan with a lid on for about 10 minutes to dry out a little. Don’t worry if some of them look as if they are overcooked on the outside, these bits will make deliciously crisp potatoes.