Call this cheese? Skye Gyngell marvels at the magic of mascarpone

Creamy, white and so smooth that it refuses to drop from a spoon, mascarpone is a gently soured cream culture from Italy's Lombardy region (purists do not consider it a cheese). It's in season from November to the end of March, so there's no better time to eat it than right now.

Its slightly sweet, rich flavour works beautifully with desserts and savoury dishes alike. The Italian favourite tiramisu (see below) is an example of mascarpone used at its best. The mixture of bitter coffee and dark chocolate soaked into savoiardi biscuits set between thick layers of sweetened mascarpone is irresistible. The roasted rhubarb and mascarpone recipe shown here is much less sweet – it's more tart and definitely lighter. I also love the combination of warm sponge with blood orange and lemon curd oozing from its crown and mascarpone melting against the warmth of the pudding.

On the savoury side, just a tablespoon or two can transform a dish. A dollop served with grilled mackerel, a wedge of lemon, plenty of salt and a little extra-virgin olive oil is quick and delicious, as is a spoonful on top of grilled sourdough bread with a drizzle of chestnut honey. Another thing I really love to do with it is spoon it over a warm vegetable tart so it slightly melts and sweetens it.

Mascarpone is best served simply so its subtle flavour can be fully appreciated. It is worth keeping a little in your fridge at this time of year so you can pair it with whatever takes your fancy.

Skye Gyngell is head chef at Petersham Nurseries, Church Lane, Richmond, Surrey, tel: 020 8605 3627, www.petershamnurseries.com

Mascarpone and chard tart

Serves 6-8

For the pastry

300g/10oz plain flour
200g/7oz cold unsalted butter
1 egg
A pinch of salt

For the topping

1 bunch of Swiss chard, stalks removed and blanched for 2 minutes
12 small black olives, such as Ligurian or Niçoise
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 dried chilli, crumbled
80ml/3fl oz extra-virgin olive oil
200g/7oz mascarpone

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4. Then start by making the pastry. Sieve the flour into a bowl and grate in the cold butter. Work together slightly with your hands, make a well in the centre, break in the egg and add the salt. Work the egg into the flour in a circular motion until a dough is formed. Remove from the bowl and knead for a minute or so on a floured surface. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for half an hour. Then roll out the dough into an oblong shape, place on a baking tray and prick the base with a fork. Return to the fridge for another 30 minutes then remove from the fridge and blind-bake for 20 minutes.

Next, remove from the oven and scatter the cooked chard, olives and a little salt and pepper. Crumble over the chilli. Drizzle over some of the olive oil and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes until the pastry is golden. Remove the tart from the oven, allow to cool slightly and spoon over the mascarpone, drizzle with a little more olive oil, cut into slices and serve.

Steamed pudding with lemon and blood-orange curd

Serves 6

For the curd (makes about 500g/1lb)

Finely grated zest and juice of 2 unwaxed lemons
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 blood orange
140g/41/2oz caster sugar
6 egg yolks
180g/6oz unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the steamed pudding

120g/4oz unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
Plain flour, to dust
120g/4oz caster sugar
1 large egg
60g/21/2oz self-raising flour
A small pinch of salt
1tsp baking powder
30g/1oz ground almonds
The zest of one blood orange
The zest of one unwaxed lemon

To finish

A generous dollop of mascarpone

Start by making the curd. Mix the zest and juice, sugar and egg yolks in a heatproof bowl until well combined. Stand the bowl over a pan of simmering water (or pour into a heavy-based saucepan and place over a very low heat if you are confident you can keep the direct heat low enough).

Stir continuously with a wooden spoon as the mixture warms and gradually thickens. Don't allow it to boil or it will curdle. Once the curd is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, after about 7-10 minutes, remove from the heat. Now stir in the butter, cube by cube. Strain the curd through a fine sieve into a clean bowl and set aside while you make the pudding.

For the steamed pudding heat the oven to 190C/ 375F/Gas 5. Then butter and flour six individual pudding bowls. Spoon in a tablespoon of the curd into each bowl. Set on a baking tray and set aside. Heat the oven to 190C/ 375F/Gas 5. Cream the butter and sugar together until soft, light and creamy. Add the egg and beat well. (The mixture may appear to separate, but it will come back together.)

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder, combine with the almonds and fold into the pudding mixture with the zest. Divide the mixture among the pudding bowls (no more then two-thirds full). Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until well risen, golden and springy to the touch.

Remove each of the puddings from the oven, leave for a while until they are cool enough to touch, then run a small round-ended knife around the inside of each bowl and turn each on to a warm plate. Serve the puddings at once with a large dollop of mascarpone on the side. '

Roasted rhubarb with mascarpone

Here contrasting flavours and textures work well to create a rich, yet palate-cleansing dessert

Serves 4

4 sticks winter rhubarb
100ml/31/2fl oz verjus or water
150g/5oz golden caster sugar
The peel of one orange
One vanilla pod, split in half lengthways
200g/7oz mascarpone

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4. Wash the rhubarb, trim the base and slice it into two-inch pieces. Place in a baking tray and pour over the verjus or water, sprinkle over the sugar and orange peel, and tuck the vanilla pod into the centre. Seal with tin foil and place on the middle shelf of the warm oven. Roast for 20 minutes or until the rhubarb is soft but not quite falling apart. Remove from the oven, take off the foil and allow to cool to room temperature. Once the rhubarb has cooled, divide between four plates and place a dollop of mascarpone on top of each.

Tiramisu

Serves 6-8

4 egg yolks
125g/4oz sugar
500g/1lb mascarpone cheese
250ml/8fl oz double cream
1tbsp of Amaretto
125ml/4fl oz freshly made espresso coffee
1 packet of savoiardi biscuits (available from all good Italian delicatessens)
120g/4oz good-quality dark chocolate

In a large bowl, beat the yolks with the sugar until the mixture lightens in colour and increases slightly in volume. Fold in the mascarpone and mix well. In a second, medium-sized, bowl whip the cream until soft peaks form then fold into the cheese mixture. Mix the Amaretto with the coffee and pour into a ceramic dish. Dip the savoiardi biscuits in this mixture to lightly soak. Lay the soaked biscuits in a nine-inch serving bowl, pour in half of the cheese mixture, add another layer of biscuits and repeat the process, finishing with a layer of mascarpone. Grate the chocolate over the top and chill in the fridge for six hours before serving.

The Forager by Wendy Fogarty

Petersham's food sourcer on the best places to find mascarpone...

Mascarpone has traditionally beenmade from crème fraîche from the milk of cows which forage pastures for grasses, herbs and flowers in northern Italy's Lombardy region

The cheese is used widely in desserts but it also works spectacularly well in savoury dishes (such as pasta and risotto). It is widely available from delis, but few sell artisan mascarpone cheese. This is identifiable by its fresh and fragrant milky flavour combined with a gentle acidity.

Three which do are London's La Fromagerie at its Marylebone and Islington shops (tel: 020 7935 0341, www.lafromagerie.co.uk), online specialists Savoria (tel: 020 79934 170, www.savoria.co.uk) and Edinburgh's Valvona & Crolla (tel: 0131 556 6066 www.valvonacrolla.co.uk) at its original shop at 19 Elm Row, Edinburgh, and its new food hall at Jenners department store in Princes Street.

Suggested reading: A Taste of Cheese recipe card pack by Fiona Beckett (£12.99, Ryland, Peters & Small);

The Cheese Room by La Fromagerie's founder, Patricia Michelson (£12.99, Penguin); and Making Artisan Cheese: Fifty Fine Cheeses That You Can Make in Your Own Kitchen, by Tim Smith, (£12.95, Quarry Books).