I would be lost without my Microplane.

It's exhilarating that something as familiar as a grater can be totally re-invented. I use mine for perfect citrus zest (no bitter white pith) but it also effortlessly minces garlic, ginger or onion, can create showers of truffle for the indulgent or fine chocolate dust for those with a sweet tooth. The more you use it, the more you realise you need it - and the more uses you find. Anyone hunting for Christmas presents look no further.

Spelt risotto with blue cheese and lime

Recipes serve four

250g spelt

2 banana shallots, peeled

1 clove of garlic, peeled

40g unsalted butter

120ml white wine

500ml vegetable or chicken stock

2 dessertspoons of Mascarpone

180g of your favourite blue cheese

a dessertspoon of chopped parsley

a lime

Method

1. Cut one-third of the blue cheese off. Return the larger piece to the fridge, covered, for later, and place the smaller piece on small saucer or in a bowl, cover with cling film and place in the freezer. This should be done far enough in advance that the smaller piece of cheese will freeze hard.

2. Finely dice the shallot. Slice the garlic very finely, or mince it on the Microplane. Place a suitable-sized saucepan over a gentle heat and melt the butter. Add the garlic and shallot and a little salt then sweat slowly without colouring, stirring regularly, for five minutes. Once softened, add the spelt, a small amount of salt and stir in, coating the spelt with the shallot mixture. Fry very gently without colouring, stirring regularly, for a few minutes then add the wine. Stir this in, allow it to come to the boil and reduce until the spelt appears to be a moist compote.

3. Add half the stock and slightly increase the heat. Simmer and bubble the risotto, stirring regularly. The stock will be absorbed and the liquid levels will become steadily lower. Top up the level a little at a time, tasting the spelt as well: you want to cook it until it is pleasantly tender to eat, retaining a very small amount of resistance or bite. If it seems underdone, continue to add a little more stock, carefully tasting as you go along. The simmering process will take about 15 minutes. Once the right degree of tenderness is reached, remove the pan from the heat. You can cook to this point in advance, then spread the spelt out on a tray or dish to cool then reheat, following the next step.

4. To finish and serve, add the mascarpone and also crumble into the pan the larger piece of blue cheese. Stir vigorously to melt. I like to leave a few pieces of the blue cheese so they are not totally dissolved, but like oozy nuggets dotted throughout. The overall consistency should be creamy and slightly loose but not wet or soupy. If you think it is too wet, continue heating and stirring to evaporate excess liquid. If it is too dry you can add a spot of stock. Stir in the chopped parsley then taste for seasoning. Divide between four warmed serving bowls. Using a Microplane, grate the piece of blue cheese from the freezer over the four dishes, creating a snow effect, then grate a few rubs of the lime zest over each and serve at once.

quick Microplane rub - meat

A blade of nutmeg

A piece of ginger, about an inch long

A clove of garlic, peeled, or two if you're feeling extra gutsy

A small red onion

A teaspoon of dried chilli flakes

A lime

Several sprigs of thyme

Vegetable oil

Method

1. Strip the leaves of thyme from their stalks into a small to medium-sized bowl suitable for holding the rest of the ingredients. You can keep the stalks for other uses, such as sauces or soups.

2. Add the chilli flakes, crushing them with your fingers quite finely as you rub them over the bowl into the thyme.

3. Holding the Microplane over the bowl, rub the whole piece of nutmeg over it so the fine dust of freshly grated nutmeg falls into the bowl with the other ingredients.

4. Peel the ginger: the best way to do this is place the ginger in one hand firmly securing it on a chopping board while, with the other hand, stripping the ginger in a downwards motion with the tip of a teaspoon. This will remove the film-like skin from the ginger without wasting flesh. Now grate the ginger on the Microplane over the bowl so the ginger too falls into the bowl. Some will remain on the back of the Microplane; scrape this off and into a bowl with a spoon.

5. Grate the onion and the garlic with the Microplane, again scraping the back if needed to remove any onion and garlic that sticks, adding it into the bowl.

6. Finally, zest the lime on the Microplane, pressing gently so you just remove the flavoursome zest without rubbing at or removing the bitter white pith just beneath the surface. Turn the lime at intervals so that the entire zest from all across the surface is removed. Rub off any lime zest from the back of the grater that has stuck there, into the bowl. Add just enough vegetable oil to create a paste but not so much that it becomes a runny marinade.

7. Using a dessertspoon, mix the ingredients together thoroughly. Store in a tightly sealed tub in the refrigerator for up to several days. To use, rub or brush across the surface of steaks, chicken or guinea fowl breasts or pork chops, then allow to stand for at least an hour before cooking: grill, pan fry or roast the meat as you usually would.

Geoffrey Smeddle is the chef patron of The Peat Inn, by St Andrews, Fife, KY15 5LH; 01334 840206 www.thepeatinn.co.uk