The Best Dishes Ever - Season 1

Ainsley Harriott introduces a selection of classic recipes from some of the BBC's best-loved television chefs.

These dishes will help when you are planning the perfect picnic. The menu includes Paul Hollywood's pork pies with quail's eggs, a superb sandwich from James Martin and Ainsley's own mustard, bacon and onion tarts.

This episode features dishes that are great to turn to when time is tight - and it's speed, not vanilla, that is of the essence. The menu includes Nigella Lawson's sausage meatballs, Nigel Slater's herb butter squid, James Martin's icebox cake, the Hairy Bikers' Welsh rarebit and Mary Berry's rich chocolate tray bake with feathered icing.

Preparation is everything with these dishes that are really good to make in advance. The menu includes Mary Berry's fresh fruit salad, James Martin's delicious chicken stew, the Hairy Bikers' autumn pudding, Nigel Slater's bean soup and Nigella Lawson's ice cream cake.

Top chefs look at classic winter warmers that work equally well in spring, autumn and summer. The menu includes Keith Floyd's beautiful beef provencal, a chicken dumpling soup from Rachel Khoo, the Hairy Bikers' perfect apple pie and James Martin working wonders with the humble jacket potato.

This episode is all about staying in your cookery comfort zones with great-looking dishes that aren't terrifyingly tricky. The menu includes Nigel Slater's lazy loaf, a haddock recipe from James Martin, butterfly cakes from Mary Berry, fishcakes from the Hairy Bikers and sausage rolls and palmiers from Lorraine Pascale.

These dishes all have a bit of a kick to them and include a fiery red rice salad from Mary Berry, Nigel Slater's 'hangover' beef salad, Nigella Lawson's coffee ice cream and the great Keith Floyd cooking a spicy steak Texan-style.

Ainsley serves up dishes that are delicious but also easy on the wallet - good quality and good value. The menu includes a Bake Off masterclass featuring Sussex suet pond pudding, a James Martin tomato soup with garlic bread, the Hairy Bikers' version of a ploughman's lunch and Ainsley's own perfect potato tart.

Ainsley looks at homemade meals that you normally turn to when you are craving a takeaway. The menu includes fish and chips from James Martin, a pizza recipe from Keith Floyd, a curry from Lorraine Pascale, Nigel Slater's Chinese chicken thighs and the Hairy Bikers' take on a pork chow mein.

In this episode, our chefs are dusting down recipes that are the staples of the great British diet. These are dishes that seem to have always been around and will always be around - comforting, traditional, old school classics.

The menu includes Keith Floyd's Irish stew, the Hairy Bikers' meatloaf, James Martin's ultimate bacon butty, a good old treacle tart from Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, and a classic chilli con carne from Lorraine Pascale.

Ainsley serves up a seafood special and his catches of the day include a fish pie from Mary Berry, a crab and leek tart from the Hairy Bikers, Nigel Slater's mackerel and bacon salad, a lobster dish from James Martin and Lorraine Pascale's good old fish and chips.

It is party time, and all our chefs are helping us get in the mood with a selection of dishes that will guarantee your guests have a good time. We have got white chocolate lollipops from Lorraine Pascale, James Martin serves up some fantastic seafood, Rachel Khoo cooks coq au vin on a stick, and there is a slice of Bake Off to finish, featuring a truly impressive cake.

Ainsley picks dishes where the combination of ingredients initially seems a little unlikely, until you see the results. The menu includes Michel Roux Junior's beef cheeks with pears, garlic and chocolate, Nigel Slater's cheesy apple pie, Rachel Khoo's figs and chicken livers and a Bake Off masterclass that combines blackcurrant and liquorice.

Ainsley asks 'are you game for game?' because these dishes are all made with some of the least-used but most tasty meats you can buy. The menu includes a venison dish from Rachel Khoo, a Keith Floyd recipe with pheasant, Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry's raised game pie, Raymond Blanc cooking with pigeon and a rabbit dish from Nigel Slater.

Ainsley picks dishes that will keep the kids happy whilst satisfying grown-ups too. The menu includes Paul Hollywood's sausage rolls, Mary Berry's ice cream secrets, Lorraine Pascale's favourite pizza recipe, a banana split from James Martin and the wonderfully named beany mince and rumpy pumpy soup, brought to you by the Hairy Bikers.

Ainsley celebrates dishes from across the Channel, getting inspiration from France, Italy and Spain. The menu includes the Greedy Italians' linguine, James Martin's Spanish sardines, a gorgeous chicken dish from Raymond Blanc and a Bake Off masterclass on how to make a classic Greek spanakopita.

In this episode, Ainsley picks dishes influenced by the exciting cuisine of some the world's most exotic places. The menu includes tapas from James Martin, Paul Hollywood's tortilla tower, a Jamaican ginger cake from the Hairy Bikers and Ainsley's own delicious jerk pork dish.

Ainsley explores perfect pairings, ingredients that always work together beautifully. The menu includes Rachel Khoo's lavender chicken, Lorraine Pascale's squash and sweet potato lasagne, Ainsley's own duck and honey dish and an apple and cinnamon cake from Mary Berry.

Ainsley selects a range of dishes that feature different types of cheese used in all sorts of different ways. The menu includes James Martin's marvellous mozzarella recipe, a Nigella Lawson cheesecake, the Hairy Bikers' souffle and Mary Berry's blue cheese and goat's cheese tart.

Ainsley chooses four dishes that really push things to the limit, each providing a technical challenge that could inspire you to tackle something new. The menu includes the Hairy Bikers' sushi, James Martin's crown of lamb, Raymond Blanc with his lobster with red pepper and cardamom jus, and the ultimate chocolate cake from Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.

Ainsley serves up a family-sized slab of chocolate recipes guaranteed to please the nation's chocoholics. The menu includes the Greedy Italians' classic chocolate pudding, the Hairy Bikers' 'world's best' brownies, a chocolate mousse from Raymond Blanc, James Martin's marshmallows with chocolate dipping sauce and a surprise from Nigella Lawson - chocolate pasta.