3 recipes from The French Kitchen by Michel Roux Jr

GROWING up, Michel Roux Jr. enjoyed slap up dinners made by his decorated chef dad Albert Roux and uncle Michel. No wonder then, that his memories of school dinners pale in comparison to these veritable feasts.

"Eugh, I don't want to even go there," he says, wincing at the thought. "I did go to English school, and I'm afraid to say, I know exactly what gristly mince and packet mashed potato tastes like," adds the 55-year-old, who admits he's had a "bit of a head-start in life", growing up in a family where food was so important.

The stodgy school dinner stalwarts are certainly off the menu in his new TV cookery competition First Class Chefs. Starting this month, it's his first series for the Disney Channel and sees teams of school children putting their kitchen skills to the test, in a bid to transform their relationship with food. In the final, two school canteens will be turned into restaurants, serving up a spread for fellow pupils, with the winning team scooping £10,000 to fund a school project.

The former MasterChef: The Professionals judge, who lives with his wife Giselle in London, says: "They've been cooking everything from the quite simple to the complex - complex for their age, but dishes even a lot of adults wouldn't contemplate. To be able to cook some of the dishes they've been doing, and so competently, is amazing to see."

Like Jamie Oliver before him, Roux Jr. hopes the series encourages more children and their families to whip out the pans and start cooking. His own daughter Emily, who has also followed in his foodie footsteps, will appear as a special guest chef and help with the judging.

"She's 24 now, so she's no longer really a trainee," he says."She's earning a good wage and really enjoying herself cooking. We get on very well and she always wants to do her best."

Fancy trying some of Roux Jr.'s recipes with your family? Here are two easy-to-follow dishes from his book, The French Kitchen, to get going with.

Croque monsieur
(Serves 4)

8 slices of good sourdough bread

2tbsp unsalted butter

1tbsp plain flour

400ml milk

Freshly grated nutmeg

Dijon mustard

280g grated cheese (a mixture of Emmental, Gruyere and Cheddar is good)

160g good-quality, sliced ham

Salt

Black pepper

Lightly toast the bread on both sides, then butter one side of each slice.

To make the bechamel sauce, melt the remaining butter in a small pan, stir in the flour to make a roux, then whisk in the milk. Keep whisking it well to avoid lumps and bring the sauce to the boil. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook for three to four minutes, then remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6. Spread a little mustard on the buttered side of a piece of toast. Add a generous amount of bechamel, followed by grated cheese and a slice of ham. Spread some more bechamel on the dry side of another piece of toast and place on top of the ham, pressing a little to stick it down. Spread a little more bechamel on top of the sandwich and sprinkle with grated cheese. Make all the sandwiches in the same way.

Put the sandwiches on a baking tray and bake them in the preheated oven for six to eight minutes until crisp and golden. Serve at once.

Omelette with girolle mushrooms
(Serves 2)

4 free-range eggs (or 6 if greedy)

100g girolle mushrooms (or any wild mushrooms, such as morels or ceps)

Vegetable oil

1/2 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

1tbsp finely chopped parsley

2tbsp unsalted butter

Salt

Black pepper

Crack the eggs into a bowl, beat them with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Trim and wipe the mushrooms, then fry them in a little oil and add the finely chopped garlic and parsley. Season and set aside.

Heat a 20cm omelette pan until it's very hot, then add a drop of oil and the butter. The butter should be golden but don't let it burn. Pour in the eggs and leave the pan for 20 seconds or so before starting to mix them with a fork or spatula. Once the omelette has formed and is holding but still a little underdone, add the mushrooms in the centre and carefully roll the omelette over them to the edge of the pan.

Flip the omelette onto a warm plate and cut it in half to serve. It should have a little colour but be light and fluffy - brush with a little butter to give it a lovely shine and gloss.

Ratatouille
(Serves 4)

1 aubergine

2 courgettes

1 red pepper, peeled and deseeded

1 large onion, peeled

2 tomatoes, peeled and deseeded

Olive oil

1 bulb of new season garlic, chopped

1 sprig of thyme

2 bay leaves

2tbsp tomato paste

Salt

Black pepper

Dice the aubergine, courgettes, pepper, onion and tomatoes - large or small, as you prefer - keeping them in separate piles. Heat about 1cm of olive oil in a pan over a high heat and colour each type of vegetable, except the tomatoes, individually, then drain them in a colander.

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C/Gas 6. Place all the vegetables in an ovenproof dish or large pan and add the diced tomatoes, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and tomato paste. Season and cover with greaseproof paper.

Place in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or so until all the vegetables are tender. If you prefer, you can do this on the hob over a gentle heat.

• The French Kitchen by Michel Roux Jr (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £25)
• First Class Chefs, Disney Channel, Monday, 4.30pm