Whenever I have cooked abroad as guest chef, I have returned with my own repertoire immeasurably enriched with new recipes, unusual techniques and previously unfamiliar ingredients.

My stay in Colombia, for example, was invaluable, coinciding with my writing The Book of Food, an encyclopaedia of ingredients. At the vast wholesale market on the outskirts of Bogota and on a visit to the headquarters of the country’s main supermarket, I was able to see and taste a range of fruits and vegetables that had not yet begun to find their way on to the shelves in Europe, including the bright pink pitahaya, or dragon fruit, and many varieties of the passion fruit and anona, or custard apple families.And so often I have found that what I have learned in one place can be useful elsewhere. In the Falkland Islands, on a Shackleton Fellowship, I was challenged to develop and demonstrate a range of recipes using local ingredients: upland goose, mutton (of course, and the finest I have ever tasted), mature (up to seven years old) beef and a variety of fish and shellfish, especially squid, because the islands have the world’s richest squid fishing grounds.

Squid cookery is not a main feature of the English kitchen, but fortunately we had spent a lot of time in Portugal, where squid is to be found on every menu, it seemed. And what I didn’t learn about squid in Portugal, I learned about in Hong Kong when I was guest chef at The Mandarin Oriental.

So tucked away in a cosy kitchen in Fox Bay, as the southern Atlantic winds howled down the chimney, I was happy to cook stuffed squid in various guises, not to mention deep-fried calamari, and squid ceviche, this one from South America via Florida. And now when I find myself in one of the local fish markets here, I always look out for small, tender squid.

Time spent in kitchens in Morocco, Egypt and Kuwait gave me the opportunity to cook with delicate flower waters and regular readers will know how fond I am of using floral flavours in my cooking. I learned to use subtle spice combinations like ras el hanout in an authentic way and to appreciate dried fruits in all their richness, especially dates of myriad varieties and in every stage of ripeness. These ideas I have combined in today’s ‘sweet’ recipe, not for dates, but for local dried figs.

Herb-stuffed squid

(Serves 6)

12 or 18 small squid
3 to 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
250g to 300g cooked rice
50g black olives, stoned and chopped
3 or 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped
Handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
A little thyme, rosemary or marjoram, chopped
Gozo salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Bay leaves

To garnish: lemon wedges and fresh coriander

It is easy to prepare squid if your fishmonger has not done it for you.

Pull the head and wings from the squid, removing and discarding the mottled transparent skin. Rinse, chop and reserve wings and tentacles.

Remove the transparent quill-like ‘bone’ from the body cavity, and rinse out all the other matter. In the olive oil, gently fry the onion until soft and stir in the chopped pieces of squid. When these have firmed up and become opaque, remove the pan from the heat. Mix together with the remaining ingredients except the bay leaves. Spoon the stuffing into the cavity of each squid, not filling it too full.

Flatten each pocket slightly, and thread three or four squid on wooden or metal skewers. Wooden ones should be soaked for 20 minutes before using.

Push the skewer twice through the top of the squid, just behind the opening so that the filling will be held inside. Alternate the squid with bay leaves. Brush with olive oil, and grill for about 10 to 12 minutes on each side. A cast iron, griddle or barbecue are ideal.

Cook’s note:

If you do not want to grill the squid, they can be baked in the oven. Instead of on skewers, place them in an oiled dish, splash with white wine and olive oil, tuck in the bay leaves and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 180˚ C/350˚F/gas 4.

Squid noodle salad with chilli and ginger dressing

(Serves 4 to 6)

2 celery stalks
100g piece of kohlrabi or white radish
75g bean sprouts
2 to 3 tbsps groundnut, or grapeseed oil
500g prepared squid, i.e. skinned, cleaned and sliced into rings, or diamond cut in pieces
2 tsps shredded fresh ginger
1 small green or red chilli, seeded and finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tbsps soy sauce
350g cooked, rinsed and drained noodles
1 red chilli ‘flower’ for decoration

Trim the celery and slice into thin, broad, oblique pieces. Slice the kohlrabi or radish similarly. Drop these and the bean sprouts into boiling water, boil fast for a minute and then drain and rinse them under cold water.

Heat the oil and in it fry the squid until just cooked, opaque yet tender. With the squid still in the pan, add the ginger, chilli, garlic and soy sauce.

Cook for a minute more and remove the pan from the heat. Drain the chilled noodles and put them in a bowl or bowls.

Arrange the vegetables on top and the seasoned squid on top of the vegetables. Decorate with the chilli to indicate that this is a hot dish.

Fig jam

500g dried figs, chopped
Grated zest and juice of a lemon
200ml water
250g sugar
1 to 2 tsps fennel-seed, or aniseed
2 tbsps lightly toasted sesame seeds (optional)
2 tbsps walnuts, chopped (optional)
2 tbsps lightly toasted, flaked almonds
2 tsps rose water, or orange flower water

Put the figs, lemon zest and juice, water, sugar and aniseed in a saucepan and cook gently until the sugar has dissolved and allow the mixture to thicken slightly.

Rub it through a sieve and add nuts or seeds, if using them, and stir in the flower water.

Spoon into small, sterilised jars, seal and label for presents or keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

This is delicious served with yoghurt, ice cream, pancakes and ricotta or as a filling for tarts.

For example, spread a layer of the fig preserve on the bottom of a pie crust, top with a lightly sweetened mixture of ricotta and egg and bake until set.

■ More of the author’s floral recipes can be found in The Scented Kitchen and The Floral Baker.