Paul Flynn: Usher in summer with these delightfully different dishes

So the extractor fan in the restaurant kitchen has broken down, and terror runs though me. Is it electrical or mechanical, I ask myself. The red switch isn’t lighting, so maybe that’s a good thing. It could be a loose wire. I have no understanding of electricity. I understand sausages.

I have an image of an errant piece of metal just hanging there, teasing us, ruining our night. It’s Friday, of course. It is always at the weekend. These things never happen on a quiet day.

Cheffing is difficult enough without this and, as we are an open kitchen with the dining room upstairs, everyone gets ratty. My stress levels are rising with heat. Our stalwart electrician arrives, even though it’s 9.30pm, climbs a ladder in the dark and in his own inimitable style proclaims the fan is finished. It wasn’t a loose wire after all.

Then I'm trying to get hold of Jimmy, the fan guy, but he's away for a few days. I send him a begging text, apologising profusely. The electrician says someone will have to go to Waterford to get a fan in the morning. I have a cookery course to teach, but I'll get a taxi to collect it if I have to. I anxiously await a call from Jimmy.

Early the next morning, I’m out the road at his deserted warehouse, vainly peering in windows and knocking on neighbours’ doors. I leave a note. Just when I’m losing hope, a text comes. The boys are on the way and will replace the fan. It looks like our extraction will be sorted. I unfrazzle and our weekend is saved.

So here’s to all the Jimmys out there, saving restaurateurs’ skins every weekend, leaving me free to create these three very different dishes. The summer rolls are fresh, crisp and fun to make. There’s no need for a dipping sauce, as the duck is coated in hoisin. The tart is piquant, for those who love that unique hit of Gorgonzola. The baked mozzarella is livened up by a little cheeky salami in the sauce. In the photo session, I made a large one, but here I’m giving you a handy recipe for two.

Recipe: Vietnamese duck summer rolls