Paul Flynn: Cheesy does it with these three decadent dishes

Making cheese is akin to alchemy. Despite having cooked with and eaten a lot of cheese over the years, I’m still not completely au fait with the process. It’s a bit like electricity. I’m not entirely sure how it happens but I’d be upset if it didn’t.

We had some old friends visit us at home recently. One came with her paramour, Mr C, a cheerful and affably posh bon viveur. He raided Morton’s in Ranelagh for all their olives, truffle salami and stinky cheeses. The others came with cases of wine and high expectations. We know how to party, even if these days that means sitting round a table with good food into the small hours.

We have an infamous downstairs loo with a dodgy lock. It has been that way for more than 20 years. People have been stuck in there at parties, their absence unnoticed until they reappear covered in bits of hedge, having climbed out the window. Only the most svelte make it.

Earlier in the evening I could hear the dreaded click-click of the lock trying to find its way. It was Mr C. I had forgotten to warn him. Thankfully he got out after a few more tries and some nerve-racking minutes. Disaster averted.

I love slipping cheese into my cooking when appropriate. These dishes are all enhanced by its presence in one form or another.

Where did all the lamb shanks go? There was a time you couldn’t open a menu without seeing them on it. This is a slightly Greek affair with the oregano and feta cheese. The cheese really cuts through the richness of the lamb to make it special.

Some of the best halloumi I’ve tasted is from The Proper Dairy Company in Clonmel (if you can get it; try Polish shops for it). It really makes this simple gnocchi dish shine.

I love Boursin, that French cream cheese you’ll find on supermarket shelves, but I hardly ever cook with it. I’m pairing it with apples here, to make a deeply flavoured and unusual tart.

Recipe: Lamb shanks, with fennel, olives and feta