Ode is a lovely little restaurant in the Devon seaside town of Shaldon, run by accomplished chef Tim Bouget and his wife Clare.

Ode has many virtues, among them delicious cooking (Tim trained with Michel Roux) and a friendly atmosphere. It has also recently scored the highest mark of any restaurant in the country for sustainability, according to the Sustainable Restaurants Association.

In its assessment, Ode did spectacularly well in everything from its use of seasonal veg to Tim's choice of fish.

Now, sustainability is certainly a fashionable word these days. But much of its somewhat modish ethos comes back to a very traditional virtue – thrift. For saving the planet can also save you money, too, especially when it comes to planning menus. And economising is something that many of us are preoc cupied with this January, as we rein in the spending after the financial excesses of Christmas.

Step forward, then, Tim Bouget, who is full of good ideas for using plentiful, in season, local ingredients to create dishes that are delicious but will not break the bank.

"If you cook cleverly, you can really save a fortune," he says. "Smart recipes can produce something absolutely mouthwatering that costs pennies. It doesn't have to be fillet steak and foie gras to have a real wow factor on the plate."

And Tim should know – after leaving Michel Roux's three Michelin-starred Waterside Inn in Bray, he then cooked all over the world, including at top hotel Sandy Lane in Barbados. In his time, he has cooked for U2, Luciano Pavarotti and even Nelson Mandela.

But Tim is a local Devon boy and these days he and Clare are happy producing fine dining in an ethical, sustainable way back at home.

To this end, Tim has dreamed up a sustainable three-course meal that costs astonishingly little to prepare.

To start, there's a pork parfait, whose main ingredient – pork liver – is often so cheap that a butcher will give it to you for free. "In this recipe, I was inspired to make a really smooth, rich pate that is very reminiscent of foie gras but a fraction of the price," Tim explains.

Having tasted it, I can only agree. Tim's parfait is as buttery and silky as foie gras but the most expensive ingredient is a pat of butter. And if you are set on being ethically minded, the controversy over the way geese are force fed to fatten them for foie gras is probably best avoided.

What's more, this recipe makes a loaf of parfait that will produce 10 portions, perfect for dinner party starters or just in the fridge for weekday snacks and lunches. Accompanied by a simple onion marmalade, again super-frugal, this is the perfect January recipe.

For a main course, Tim's been to his local fishmonger for some English Channel squid. It's a sustainable seafood and its abundance means it is inexpensive. The squid for this recipe costs around £1.50 a 150g portion. Seared with olives, lemon, thyme and roasted garlic, it is a fresh, healthy and very sophisticated dish. "And so easy to make, too," says Tim, serving it up with a flourish after just a few seconds of cooking time.

If you are unsure how to prepare fresh squid, then ask your fishmonger to clean and strip it for you. Then simply score the soft side of the squid with a knife and cut into squares, or cut the squid into rings.

Finally, what could be more enjoyable on a dark winter's night than that old stalwart, treacle tart? Like so many of our very traditional British housewife's recipes, this is cheap to make. But it is by no means a dull or boring pud, either. Follow Tim's recipe and you will end up with crisp buttery pastry and a light, lemony filling.

And if you are planning on saving money this month (I know I am) let me also recommend the special January offer on set menus at Ode, which are just £23.75 for two courses and £29.75 for three. Having tried Tim's cooking, that is a bargain indeed.

Makes 10 portions

1kg pork liver

650g salted butter, melted

2 eggs

1 tsp salt and white pepper

For red wine reduction:

3 shallots – diced

250ml red wine

50ml port

1 clove

1 bay leaf

1 sprig of rosemary

Line a terrine mould with cling film and ensure enough of an overlap to fold over when filled.

Blend the livers and pass through a round sieve.

Simmer to reduce the red wine mix by half, remove herbs and bay leaf and blend in a food processor.

Add the livers to the blended wine, add the whole eggs and mix on a slow setting. Pour in the warm butter gradually, then season with salt and pepper.

Pour mix into the lined terrine mould and gently tap on a worktop to knock out any air bubbles. Cover the top of the terrine with the overlapping cling film.

Place in a roasting tray with enough hot water to reach half way up the sides of the terrine. Cook in the oven at 85C for an hour.

Allow the pork to cool and remove from the mould, slice and serve with toast and onion marmalade (see below for recipe).

1kg red onions finely shredded

1 knob of butter

200ml red wine

50ml port

salt and pepper

Sweat the onions in the butter in a thick bottomed pan and add red wine and port

Cover with a lid and cook on a very low heat for up to 4 hours.

Reduce the liquid to leave a glossy fine onion marmalade.

Serves 2

100g purple sprouting broccoli and brussels sprouts, lightly steamed

100g black kale, lightly steamed

250g prepared squid (your fishmonger can help with this if you are unsure)

1 handful of pitted black olives

½ lemon, juiced

Thyme sprigs

50ml rapeseed oil

salt and pepper

Place 6 cloves of garlic into a tin foil parcel and bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and peel. Set aside.

Heat a non stick frying pan and add rapeseed oil. When smoking, add the prepared squid, season with salt and pepper, cook for 30 seconds. Add thyme and roasted garlic, stir for a further 5 seconds.

Add lemon juice and a tablespoon of rapeseed oil. Turn off the heat and toss in the vegetables and olives. Mix well and place in the centre of a plate.

Drizzle with the lemon dressing (see below) and serve with fried shallots and fresh parsley.

Serves 6

2 lemons, halved

100ml sunflower oil

25ml cider vinegar

1 tsp grain mustard

1 clove of garlic peeled

2 egg yolks

Place the egg yolks, vinegar, mustard and garlic in a blender.

Place the lemon halves flesh side down on a griddle and cook until blackened. When the lemons have cooled, juice them and pass through a sieve.

Add the juice into the blender with the other ingredients, mix and process on a low setting. Slowly pour in the oil until the mix emulsifies like a mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For quick sweet pastry:

125g softened unsalted butter

90g caster sugar

1 large egg

250g plain flour

Zest of 1 lemon

Blend the butter and sugar in a food processor. Add the eggs and beat for 30 seconds.

Add flour, lemon zest and blend for a few seconds until the dough comes together. Wrap in cling film and rest for 1 hour.

Pre heat oven to 180C (350F, gas mark 4). Roll out the pastry to 2mm thickness and line a 30cm tart ring.

Fill with baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes, removing the beans for the last 5 minutes of baking.

For filling:

170g fresh white bread crumbs

90g unsalted butter

2 whole organic large eggs

70ml double cream

pinch of salt

720g organic golden syrup

Preheat the oven to 160C (325F, gas mark 3). Heat the butter in a pan until nut brown, then pass through a sieve.

Mix the eggs, cream and salt in a bowl until combined. Gently heat the golden syrup and stir in the butter mix, add this to the egg mix and add the breadcrumbs.

Pour into the tart case and bake for 25 minutes. Turn the oven down to 140C (275F, gas mark 1) and bake for a further 20 minutes. Serve with clotted cream.