Almost every time we meet, my friend Jeremy Lee and I fall into an I Know Where I'm Going! conversation, quoting at each other from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressberger's 1945 film set in the Scottish Highlands. One day, we always say, let's cook and watch it together. Last week it finally happened and eight of us tucked into a Highlands-inspired meal and watched the film.

We decided on food that was relatively undemanding to make, could be prepared in advance but would be easy to eat and appropriate to the film. As it was at my son's place, I took charge and made my favourite super-quick, unbelievably delicious smoked mackerel pâté. Our main course, a homely rabbit stew, has a wonderful sauce that relies on good bacon and a large quantity of finely chopped vegetables that cook down with wine and stock. We served it with a parsnip version of clapshot, an Orkneys mashed potato dish usually made with turnips.

Jeremy suggested trifle for pudding. This one is inspired by something similar at the Blueprint Café, overlooking the Thames near Tower Bridge, where he's head chef. Tender forced rhubarb is cooked in the oven with ruby-coloured juice from blood oranges, scraps of crystallised ginger and brown sugar. I cheated with top-of-the-range ready-made custard and topped it with a speeded-up version of Elizabeth David's syllabub from An Omelette and a Glass of Wine.

It was such a great menu, so delicious and so painless to prepare, that it would be perfect for a midweek dinner party. Begin with the rhubarb and, once it's in the oven, start on the stew. While it's cooking, finish the trifle and make the pâté. Don't forget, though, everything could be made in advance. Even the mash - just heat it up, stirring constantly, adding extra butter and a splash of milk to stop it catching.

This week's recipes:

Smoked mackerel pâté

Rabbit (or chicken) and red wine stew

Parsnip clapshot

Rhubarb and crystallised ginger trifle with lemon syllabub

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