“I’m madly in love with lentils all over again,” says Mr Jeremy Lee. London’s most likeable chef has swapped the stoves of beloved Soho restaurant Quo Vadis for the “tiny wee scullery” in his Hackney flat. But his approach to food – one that’s led by a dedication to the finest British ingredients – hasn’t changed. “When this happened, I immediately became aware that the whole food supply chain had been turned upside down,” he says. “Supporting local businesses is key and it’s incredible that suppliers who usually serve the entire restaurant industry – such as Neal’s Yard Dairy, Natoora and Brindisa – now offer home delivery.”

Despite his bounty of ingredients, Mr Lee is keeping it simple in the kitchen. “Comfort food is really what you crave,” he says. “So, nice, cheesy salads. Crazy pestos to use things up when I’ve bought far too much organic produce. Omelettes and frittatas, meatballs and little braises.” And, of course, the aforementioned lentils. Such cooking harks back to Mr Lee’s childhood in Dundee. “Mum would throw together meals for a bulging family of six, cooking every day and making sure it was good and healthy and nutritious,” he says. “I’m looking to recipes by Elizabeth David – plain, simple, regional and seasonal.”

Mr Lee has been head chef at Quo Vadis since 2012. It’s known for its golden-crusted pies, smoked eel sandwiches and pitch-perfect martinis, all brought to life on daily-changing illustrated menus. Adjusting to cooking in his home kitchen, rather than a professional one, says Mr Lee, has been “hilarious. You’ve got to do your own washing up. You don’t have a fridge full of peeled garlic and picked parsley. But the kitchen remains my place of solace.” He’s also been cooking meals to be delivered to NHS key workers. “There are some interesting challenges, but it’s about muddling through with what you’ve got,” he says.

Keeping waste to a minimum is a priority. “If so much as an onion sprouts, it breaks my heart,” says Mr Lee. “I’ve got a big basket of bread rusks drying, ready to be blitzed into crumbs, to be lightly cooked in butter, then used as a topping for gratins, or just served with asparagus, soft-boiled egg and anchovies. And I do like having good dried ingredients. Suddenly there’s the luxury of being able to soak dried chickpeas, beans and lentils.”

If you’ve found yourself cooking at home more than you’re used to, says Mr Lee, don’t be over-ambitious. “Think about things with three ingredients,” he says. “Scour the internet for good organic veg suppliers to make salads that are bright, fresh and bonny, especially now spring produce is about to explode.” A bag of mince from the butcher, he continues, holds a plethora of possibilities, such as Mr Lee’s polpette, the recipe for which he’s shared below. “They’re flavoured with breadcrumbs steeped in milk, nutmeg, parsley and lemon,” he says, and served with an almond and wild garlic pesto. “Pesto doesn’t just mean pine nuts and basil. It translates as ‘to pound’ and there are hundreds of varieties. This one uses Caerphilly cheese from Neal’s Yard. Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for a good few weeks in a sterilised jar.”

And Mr Lee’s quarantine cocktail of choice? “The only thing I will confess to stockpiling is rhubarb and blood oranges, which I order from Leila’s Shop. Blood orange juice and Campari is mother’s milk. Or I’ll stew the rhubarb, then strain it through a muslin cloth, then serve the delicious elixir with Campari.”

Try Mr Lee’s polpette yourself with the easy recipe below.

“These are a delightful treat my mum used to cook for her brood. Simple, quick, light and wonderfully fragrant, they make an ace lunch or supper.”

For the polpette

1 thick slice white bread, crusts removed

125ml milk

Handful of flat-leaf parsley

3 cloves garlic

1 lemon

500g minced beef

Light oil, for frying

¼ quarter whole nutmeg seed, freshly grated

2 eggs

Sea salt

Pepper

**For the pesto **

200g whole blanched almonds

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

10 blades wild garlic

Large handful of wild rocket, not too stalky (or 2 cloves garlic, grated)

150ml olive oil, plus extra for frying

150g Duckett’s Caerphilly cheese, grated

Sea salt

Pepper

First make the pesto. Place the almonds, garlic, wild garlic and rocket in a food processor. Add a little olive oil, then coarsely blend. Season and add the rest of the olive oil, then grind again. Stir in the grated cheese.

Place the bread on a plate and pour on the milk. Leave to soak, turning every few minutes.

Meanwhile, pick and chop the parsley, peel and finely chop the garlic and finely grate the lemon zest. Place the mince in a large mixing bowl.

Squeeze any excess milk from the bread. Add the remaining ingredients and mix everything together lightly and deftly. Form into small rounds.

Heat a frying pan and cook the polpette in a little oil until browned on both sides. Serve piping hot with the pesto. Asparagus, new potatoes and leaf salad are excellent companions.