What's in season: January

A rack of lamb is perfect for a Sunday roast for two, with six or seven cutlets. I buy it French-trimmed, which means the fat has been removed from the rib bones. Coat the surface with a mixture of olive oil, mustard, breadcrumbs, ground almonds and herbs – as the meat roasts (at 200C/400F/gas mark 6 for about 20 minutes for nicely pink meat), a tasty brown crust will form.

But lamb is a very versatile meat, and I probably like it best of all in casseroles, curries or a tagine, which is my choice for this month's main course recipe.

Ooh, you are offal
Don't forget to order your haggis for Burns' Night on the 25th. Purists and Scots will know exactly how to cook and serve it (read our guide to Organising a Burns Supper), but I have my own method.

Have plenty of mashed potatoes, or a mixture of potatoes and swedes or turnips, and a well-buttered ovenproof dish. Halve the haggis and scoop out the filling. Reassemble it with the mash as if for a cottage pie, and bake in a hot oven for 30-40 minutes.

Other good things to look out for
Mushrooms are always plentiful after the holidays. There may be no one at work to pick them, but the mushrooms don't stop growing. So what you will find is plenty of open mushrooms – these are excellent for a warming mushroom soup. Or chop small, fry in butter and use them as an omelette filling.

The biggest mushrooms can be stuffed and baked, or grilled and served with an egg on top. If you're picking your own, make sure you know what you're doing, as some can be extremely poisonous.

Gathering nuts
There will still be plenty of dried fruit and nuts about in January. Make a fruit and nut compote by soaking the dried fruit in tea, then poaching until soft. Add the shelled nuts, lightly toasted, and keep it in the refrigerator for a quick breakfast dish or dessert.

Finally remember that baby leeks, cavolo nero, red and white cabbage, kohl rabi and all the root vegetables, as well as celery and celeriac, are exceptionally good in winter - the frost firms them up and makes them sweet and crisp.

Over the page: Frances' January menu