Ioften think of the phrase “fit for a king” when it comes to food, not least because it implies grand gestures and elaborate plates. For me, even something as humble as a boiled egg, or the combination of potatoes and cheese, or a sugar-soaked crumpet is fit for any celebration, be it a street party or just a couple of friendly faces gathered around the kitchen table. This weekend, while some mark the coronation and others just enjoy an extra day of leisure, I’m going to focus on familiar ingredients and crown them with a twist that’s fit for everyone. Devilled eggs with tarragon and poppy seed oil (pictured top) Devilled eggs are a classic crowdpleaser that I turn to time and again to bring a party together. With these ones, I use briny capers and crunchy cornichons to cut through the rich yolks. To get ahead, boil the eggs a day before and refrigerate, then assemble just before serving. Prep 10 min Cook 20 min Serves 6 6 large fridge-cold eggs 20g cornichons, drained and finely chopped 10g capers, drained and roughly chopped 1½ tsp wholegrain mustard 70g creme fraiche 5g tarragon, leaves picked and finely chopped 10g chives, very finely chopped Salt 1 tbsp olive oil ½ tsp poppy seeds ½ tsp aleppo chilli flakes Bring a half-filled medium saucepan of water to a boil, turn down the heat to medium-high, gently lower in the eggs and cook them for 11 minutes. Take the pan to the sink and run the eggs under cold water to stop them cooking any further. Once they’re cold, peel them and cut in half lengthways. Take out the yolks with a teaspoon and put in a bowl, then mash with a fork until almost smooth. Stir in the cornichons, capers, a teaspoon of the mustard, creme fraiche, tarragon, half the chives and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, then set aside. Put the oil, poppy seeds, chilli and the remaining half-teaspoon of mustard in a small frying pan on medium-high heat until it starts bubbling, cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant, then take off the heat. Arrange the halved egg whites hollow side up on a platter. Put a heaped teaspoon of the egg yolk mixture into each hollow, spoon the oil on top and serve with the remaining chives sprinkled over the top. Potato and cheddar cigars with spiced ketchup Perfect finger food for a street party or gathering. Get ahead by making both the filling and ketchup a day ahead, leaving you with just the cooking and assembly to do on the day you want to serve them. Prep 20 min Cook 1 hr Serves 8-10 as a snack For the cigars Fine sea salt and black pepper 450g king edward potatoes (or yukon gold), peeled and cut into 2cm cubes 1 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, peeled, halved and finely chopped (150g) 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp mild curry powder 25g fresh coriander, finely chopped, plus ½ tbsp extra to serve 1 green chilli, split lengthways, pith and seeds discarded, flesh thinly sliced (10g) 2 spring onions, trimmed and roughly chopped (30g) 150g mature cheddar, roughly grated 5 sheets 480mm x 255mm filo pastry (defrosted if frozen), kept under a damp cloth 50g unsalted butter, melted 1 tsp nigella seeds For the spiced ketchup 1 tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 1 tsp paprika ½ tsp ground allspice 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes, strained 90ml apple cider vinegar 30g light soft brown sugar Bring a medium saucepan of well-salted water to a boil, add the cubed potatoes and cook for four minutes, until soft and cooked through. Drain into a colander, then set aside. Wipe the saucepan clean and return it to a medium heat. Add the oil, half the onion, a teaspoon of cumin seeds and a half-teaspoon of salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, for eight minutes, until softened. Add the curry powder and drained potatoes, cook for another minute, until fragrant, then take the pan off the heat and stir in the coriander, chilli, spring onion and cheese, and leave to cool. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper. Lay a filo sheet on a clean work surface and brush the top all over with some of the melted butter. Turn over the filo, cut it in half widthways to make two equal rectangles, then spread 50- 60g of the potato mixture along the length of one shorter side of each piece. Tightly roll up into a cigar (don’t worry about sealing the sides), then put on the tray and repeat with the remaining filo, melted butter and filling. Sprinkle the nigella seeds all over the filo cigars, then bake for 20 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Meanwhile, make the ketchup. Put a small saucepan on a medium heat and, once it’s hot, add the oil, the remaining teaspoon of cumin seeds, the other half of the chopped onion, the garlic and half a teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for seven minutes, until softened. Stir in the remaining spices and a good grind of pepper, cook for another minute, until fragrant, then stir in the strained tomatoes, cider vinegar and sugar. Turn down the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, until the mixture has reduced and thickened. Transfer to the small bowl of a food processor and blitz to the consistency of ketchup; add a splash of water to loosen, if necessary. Cut each cigar into two or three pieces at random angles, so you have some longer and some shorter pieces, arrange these on a platter, sprinkle over the extra coriander and serve with the ketchup alongside, for dipping. Knafeh crumpets with maple cardamom syrup Crumpets generally need little more than a bit of toasting and a pat of salted butter, but, to mark this weekend’s royal occasion, I’ve given them a bit of a Middle Eastern twist here. Knafeh is a popular dessert made with kataifi pastry, stuffed with cheese and soaked in sweet syrup, and it’s reimagined here with the humble crumpet. Prep 20 min Cook 15 min Serves 4 90ml maple syrup ⅔ tsp ground cardamom seeds (ie, from 7-9 pods) 1 lemon, zest cut off in 5 fine strips, then juiced to get ¾ tsp 4 crumpets 60g low-moisture mozzarella, roughly grated 60g feta, crumbled 80g caster sugar 60g room-temperature unsalted butter 25g shelled Iranian or regular pistachios, finely chopped 1-2 tsp dried rose petals ⅛ tsp flaked sea salt Put the maple syrup, ground cardamom and lemon zest in a small saucepan on a medium-high heat, bring to a vigorous boil, then take off the heat and leave to cool. Using a small, serrated knife, cut a large pocket in the side of each crumpet, so it looks a bit like a split pitta – do this carefully, because you don’t want to cut so far that the crumpets break. Mix the two cheeses in a small bowl and stuff 30g of the mixture into each pocket. Put the sugar on a plate or tray and set aside. Generously butter one side of each crumpet, and then press it butter side down in the sugar. Butter the other side of the crumpets and press that side in the sugar, too, so both sides are coated in it. Put a large frying pan on a medium heat and, once hot, lay the crumpets in the pan and cook for two to three minutes on each side, until golden and caramelised. Arrange the crumpets on a platter. Gently reheat the syrup, then take off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and pour all over the crumpets. Scatter the pistachios, rose petals and flaked salt over the crumpets and serve at once.