Rick Stein reveals his favourite UK restaurant - plus the secret ingredient that takes his bolognese to the next level

A brand from Sicily called Ravida. I filmed there years ago and they’re still doing well. It’s got a floral flavour with a slight bitterness. I don’t think too much bitterness is good, but you do need a bit.

Bougiest thing in your store cupboard?

I like Fortnum & Mason’s Toffolossus biscuits (£27.95, fortnumandmason.com). My wife Sas always buys them and they must be the most expensive – as well as the naughtiest and richest – biscuits in the world. But, bloody hell, they are good.

Favourite fish?

At the moment, I’m really into ling. My son Jack and I are doing this thing in our business where we’re championing forgotten fish. In other words, fish that people used to eat and don’t eat much any more. And ling, in fish and chips, is just exquisite. It’s much better value for money than cod and haddock.

Chef, author and restaurateur Rick Stein

Go-to cheese?

My favourite is comté. I picked that up from filming in France. It’s just the best flavour and aroma, plus it ages well. It’s good in cooked cheese dishes, too, because it’s got tremendous elasticity.

Top UK restaurant?

Henry Harris’s Bouchon Racine in Farringdon, London (bouchonracine.com), because he does French food with such love. It’s almost better than you get in France because he’s a huge fan of French cooking; and by that I mean provincial French cooking, not haute cuisine. He does a lovely rabbit with mustard sauce, and a great côte de boeuf. It’s local stuff done exceptionally well, and the staff are fantastic.

Best vinegar?

Valdespino (£18.95 for 75cl, brindisa.com). It’s made from sherry and has a distinct flavour. It always has that little tinge of Spanishness about it, so I use it when I make a salad to go with paella.

Three things that are always in your fridge?

Champagne, because my wife adores it. And, for me, I have salami, chorizo or prosciutto, and small tomatoes from a supermarket finest range.

Singapore’s Maxwell Food Centre is Rick’s favourite place for Southeast Asian cuisine

Choice of butter?

My go-to is Échiré salted butter (bottom right). I think it’s the best French butter, and the best butter anywhere. It’s an artisan product and the reason it’s so good is because it has a high butter fat content. Also, the packaging is exquisite.

Restaurant you want to return to?

I’m very fond of the hawker markets in Singapore. There’s a place called Maxwell Food Centre (maxwellfoodcentre.com), which has loads of tiny little stalls selling Malaysian, Indonesian, Chinese, Thai dishes – you name it. I went there with Sas a few years ago and we ordered some chicken rice, one of my favourite dishes in the world, which was exquisite.

Best supermarket chocolate?

I like the Waitrose No.1 dark chocolate (£3, waitrose.com). I use it if I’m making a chocolate mousse or fondant, rather than seeking out a very expensive, exclusive kind.

The Windmill Bar on the Greek island of Hydra is Rick’s sundowner hotspot

Secret ingredient?

One of the things I do, which I wouldn’t want the Italians to know, is put a little pimentón (Spanish paprika) in a bolognese sauce. The secret is just to put so much in that you can’t tell if it’s there, but you can certainly tell if it’s not there. It adds a little heat, but particularly a bit of a smoky, chipotle-like flavour as well.

Best spot for drinks with a view?

The Windmill Bar in Hydra, Greece. It’s the sort of place that you only really go to for the setting sun. When you’re looking out over the mainland, it’s perfect. What I really like as a sunset drink is Campari. Aperol is a bit wimpy for me; Campari has a bit more bitterness and a darker colour.

Rick Stein’s Cookery Course will be published on Thursday by BBC Books, £30. To order a copy for £25.50 with free delivery until 8 November, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.