In restaurants around the world, there's one dish you won't find on the menu – the staff meal before service. What do top chefs feed their team?

The Fat Duck, Bray, Berkshire, England: head chef Jonny Lake

Why is the staff meal important? Making a big deal of staff food helps build team morale and raises standards. From a chef's perspective, if you don't care enough to put up good-quality staff food, what does that say about you?

What is the one meal of the week your staff most looks forward to? Saturday lunch, which normally consists of BLTs, scrambled or fried eggs, and croissants and chocolatines made by our pastry team. Also, the Lab's famous potato salad.

Cream-baked cod with dill and olive oil smashed potatoes with rocket

Serves four.

For the cod

Four 170g skinless cod fillets

Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

187ml heavy cream

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

1 lemon, cut into wedges

For the potatoes

118ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve

2 large white onions, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tsp sea salt

680g Maris Piper potatoes, scrubbed clean

57g rocket

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

The Fat Duck's cream-baked cod: 'If you don't care enough to put up good-quality staff food, what does that say about you?' says head chef Jonny Lake. Photograph: Jason Lowe

For the potatoes, in a large skillet, heat half the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onions and caramelise, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, about 55 minutes. (If you don't have time for this, add a tablespoon of honey to the onions once they've softened to help speed up the process.) Set aside.

Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes, whole and unpeeled. Boil until a paring knife pierces cleanly through without resistance – about 40 minutes. Drain the potatoes and cut each in half. (This is a hot job, so use an oven mitt.) Put the potatoes back in the pot, along with the onions and their oil. Using a potato masher, smash quickly – they should be more lumpy than smooth – then stir in the rest of the oil and the rocket until wilted. Add oil to taste, season generously and serve straight from the pot.

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Season the cod, and arrange snugly in a single layer in a 23cm x 29cm baking dish. Pour in enough cream to creep one-third of the way up the fillets. Bake until the cream has reduced slightly and the fish flakes easily with a fork – 16 to 20 minutes. Baste the fish midway through cooking to break up any skin that forms on the cream.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle with dill, and serve immediately, spooning the cooked cream over the top of the fillets and with lemon wedges on the side.

Arzak, San Sebastián, Spain: chef Elena Arzak

What are some staff favourites? Fish soup with potato in the summer. Steaks with breadcrumbs and eggs. And lentils; I like lentils very much.

Anything that would not be served at the staff meal? Basques don't like coriander. Why? I have no idea. We like ginger, but not raw, just the powder. We also don't like coconut very much.

Duck and prawn paella

Serves six.

60ml Spanish olive oil

500g skin-on duck breasts, cut into 1-1.5cm cubes

115g green beans, trimmed and diced

4 large artichoke hearts in water, drained and coarsely chopped

1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped

1 large garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced

60g coarsely chopped roasted red peppers

Around 2 litres chicken stock (you may need a little more)

540g bomba paella rice (use arborio if need be)

1 pinch saffron threads

2 tsp salt

500g large prawns, peeled

70g frozen peas

Lemon wedges, for serving

In a 12-inch paella pan or high-sided skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the duck and fry until browned, about six minutes. Add the beans, artichokes, tomato, garlic and chopped roasted pepper (this is the sofrito), and cook until the vegetables are tender, about three minutes. Add the stock (it should fill the pan with 5cm of liquid) and leave to bubble away for 30 minutes, creating a flavourful stock. There should be at least 2.5cm of liquid left in the skillet after boiling; if it has over-reduced, add more stock to accommodate the loss.

Stir in the rice, saffron and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a brisk simmer. Do not stir the rice again – this is important for the development of the socarrat, the caramelised crust at the bottom of the pan. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender but not mushy. If it is still undercooked after 20 minutes, add more liquid (but do not stir) and continue to cook until tender.

Scatter the prawns and peas on top of the rice, cover the skillet with a lid (or tin foil) and steam the prawns for five minutes. During this time, monitor the heat – it should be high enough to develop the socarrat, but not so high as to allow it to burn. When you can smell a pervasive toastiness, your socarrat is forming. Use a fork to poke into the rice at the bottom of the pan: if it meets with slight nubby resistance, your flavourful crust has been formed. After five minutes, turn off the heat, flip over the prawns and cover the skillet with a kitchen towel. Leave to rest for five to 10 minutes before serving.

What is your staff meal philosophy? Don't throw anything away.

Anything odd that has made it on to the staff meal table? Cod heads.

A menu leftover that always appears in the staff meal? Au Pied de Cochon mashed potatoes – with butter, garlic-infused cream and cheese curds.

Mushroom, onion and spring onion pizza

Au Pied Cochon in Montreal is one of Canada's most lauded restaurants. Yet the staff might sit down to something as simple as pizza. Photograph: Ken Goodman

Makes six pizzas.

For the dough

10g instant yeast

2 tsp granulated sugar

625g all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tbsp fine sea salt

1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for proving

For the tomato sauce

One 794g tin (or two small tins) whole peeled tomatoes, drained

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 tbsp olive oil

4 sprigs fresh thyme

4 large basil leaves

1 tsp sea salt

For the topping

1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced

340g assorted mushrooms, thinly sliced

570g mozzarella, sliced, grated or torn

2 bunches spring onions (green and white parts), cut into 5cm pieces

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Olive oil, as needed

70g coarse cornmeal

For the dough, stir together the yeast and sugar with 475ml warm water, and leave to stand at room temperature until tiny bubbles form at the surface – about two minutes. (If bubbles do not emerge, your yeast is dead and needs replacing.)

Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food mixer with a dough hook. Add the yeast mixture and oil, and knead on a low speed for five minutes. Lightly flour a work surface. Remove the slightly sticky dough from the bowl and knead by hand until smooth and elastic, about five minutes. Brush the bowl with oil, return the dough to it and cover with clingfilm. Set the bowl aside at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size – about an hour.

Divide the dough into six balls, put these on a parchment paper-lined flat oven tray and cover loosely with clingfilm. Leave the balls to double in size – about an hour. (If need be, after this second rise, wrap the dough balls in clingfilm and keep overnight in the fridge. If so, let them sit at room temperature for at least an hour before proceeding.)

For the sauce: pulse the tomatoes in a food processor for about 30 seconds, to make a chunky sauce. Transfer to a jar and add the garlic, olive oil, thyme, basil and salt. Cover tightly and sake hard for 30 seconds.

Put a pizza stone or upturned 25cm cast-iron skillet on the middle rack of the oven and heat the oven to as high as it will register. Dust a flat oven sheet generously with cornmeal and on it gently shape one dough ball by hand into a 20cm pizza round. Spread a thin layer of sauce all the way to the edges, top with onion, mushrooms, cheese and spring onions, season and drizzle lightly with oil. Transfer the pizza from the tray on to the pizza stone (or upturned skillet) with a flick of the wrist – if you've used enough cornmeal, it'll slide off easily.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the crust on the sides and base is slightly charred and the cheese is beginning to bubble and brown. Transfer to a cutting board and serve piping hot. Repeat with the remaining dough, sauce and topping.

Dill, Reykjavik, Iceland: co-owners Gunnar Karl Gíslason and Ólafur Örn Ólafsson

What is Icelandic cuisine? Oli: Up until about 50 years ago, Icelandic cuisine was about surviving; taste and flavour was not a consideration. It's only in the past 20 years that restaurants have really started doing interesting things. It feels like a renaissance.

Gunnar: As for ingredients, herring is important. Dill, cod, lamb, rye and barley, too. Horse is popular. Seal and puffin are not as popular as they used to be, but they still show up occasionally.

What makes a staff meal so special? Oli: We are a family and want our guests to feel like they're part of our family, too.

Spice-studded crisp pork belly and pickled red cabbage in redcurrant juice

Roast pork belly hits the spot before the Dill team take to the floor for the evening. Photograph: Jason Lowe

Serves six.

For the pork belly

2.7kg pork belly

144g sea salt

20 cloves

16 bay leaves, preferably fresh

4 sticks cinnamon, broken or cut into shards

For the cabbage

1 tbsp unsalted butter

70g granulated sugar

1 small red cabbage, outer leaves discarded, cored, quartered and shredded

300ml white vinegar

475ml redcurrant juice

1 stick cinnamon

3 cloves

3 juniper berries

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. With a very sharp knife, score the pork skin all over about 6mm apart (go deep into the fat but not so far as to cut into the flesh). Cut the belly into two long strips, and arrange skin-side down in a roasting pan. Add enough water just to cover the skin, and roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer the meat to a plate, tip out the water and dry the pan.

Pat the pork dry and rub salt over the skin, ensuring that it gets into the score marks. Push the cloves into the skin and stick the bay leaves and cinnamon shards into the scored slits. Return the two pieces of pork belly to the pan skin-side up, and roast until the skin is crackling and crisp and the meat pulls apart easily – about two hours. Let the belly rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes, before carving and serving.

Meanwhile, make the cabbage. In a sauté pan melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly caramelised – about six minutes. Add the cabbage to the pan and cook for about five minutes, until just tender. Add the vinegar, redcurrant juice, cinnamon, cloves and juniper, and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is very tender and the liquid has reduced slightly, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and leave to cool to room temperature. Remove and discard the cinnamon, cloves and juniper berries, and refrigerate until chilled. Serve chilled or reheat just before serving. Any leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to a week.

WD-50, New York: chef/patron Wylie Dufresne

Why is the staff meal important? I don't think everyone here is the best of friends, but for the most part I think they're friendly. So if you can't make good food for your friends, how can you make good food for strangers?

Grilled hanger steak with classic béarnaise sauce

Steak with béarnaise sauce is on the menu for the staff dinner at WD-50 in New York As chef/owner Wylie Dufresne says, 'If you can't make good food for your friends, how can you make good food for strangers?' Photograph: Evan Sung

Serves six.

2 680g hanger steaks (also known as onglet or skirt)

475ml red wine

6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

10 sprigs fresh thyme

2 tsp black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp canola oil (or olive or sunflower oil)

For the sauce

3 shallots, peeled and minced

60ml champagne vinegar

30ml white wine

2 sprigs fresh tarragon, tied together with string

255g egg yolks (ie, from about 14 large eggs)

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus extra if required

225g cold unsalted butter, cut into 2.5cm cubes

1 tbsp tarragon leaves, chopped fine

Sea salt, to taste

Start on the steak a day ahead. With a small, sharp knife, remove any excess fat and silver skin (the slightly opaque tissue that's "shrink-wrapped" on to the meat). Put the steaks in a resealable container and add the wine, garlic, thyme, peppercorns and bay, making sure both steaks are completely covered in liquid, and refrigerate overnight or for up to 24 hours.

About an hour before serving, remove the steaks from their marinade, pat dry with kitchen towel and leave to come to room temperature. Heat a griddle or plancha to high (if you don't have one, heat a large cast-iron pan over high heat and heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6).

While the steaks are coming to room temperature, make a start on the sauce. Combine the shallots, vinegar, wine and tarragon in a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and barely simmer until the shallots are meltingly tender and all the liquid evaporated, about 45 minutes. Leave to cool to room temperature, then remove and discard the tarragon.

In a bain-marie, over gently simmering water, combine the egg yolks and lemon juice, and whisk until the mixture thickens to the consistency of thick pancake batter – about five minutes. Keep the liquid moving and the bowl just above the simmering water, not sitting right in it.

When the egg mixture has thickened, add the cold butter a few cubes at a time, whisking until it's melted and completely incorporated before adding the next few cubes. After the butter is incorporated, add the shallot mixture, minced tarragon and salt to taste. If you want, brighten the sauce by adding a little extra lemon juice. Béarnaise splits if reheated, so use as soon as possible, before it gets too cool.

To cook the steaks, season all over with salt and pepper and brush all over with oil. For medium-rare steaks, griddle them over medium-high heat for six to eight minutes a side. To cook the steaks without a griddle, sear the steaks on both sides in the cast-iron skillet over high heat until a dark brown crust has formed – about three minutes on each side – then transfer the skillet to the oven until the steaks are done medium-rare, about 12 minutes.

Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes, then slice against the grain into 1cm-wide strips. Serve with the sauce on the side.

What is your staff meal philosophy? I always have a lot of food. Sometimes you are in a hurry, and when you are in a hurry, you do something very quick. But we always have the staff meal before lunch and dinner service.

Are there any favourite staff meals?

Cheese and eggs – we love that. Or a French hamburger with onions and fries. Or fresh vegetables with pasta.

Strawberry vacherin

Straawberry vacherin is a sweet treat for the staff at Villa9Trois in Montreuil, France. Chef Stephane Reynaud insists his team sit down to eat together before every service, even if only for something very quick. Photograph: Owen Franken

Serves four.

900g ripe strawberries, hulled, cut in half and thinly sliced

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tbsp St-Germain liqueur

8 small meringue shells

300ml heavy whipping cream

35g confectioners' sugar

475ml strawberry sorbet

Purée half the strawberries with the lemon juice, sugar and liqueur to create a smooth, pourable sauce. Break the meringues into bite-sized pieces. Whisk the cream and confectioners' sugar to stiff peaks.

Into four tall glasses wide enough for spoons to easily dig into, put alternating layers of sliced strawberry, strawberry sauce, meringue pieces and whipped cream. Finish with a scoop of sorbet and serve at once.

What should every staff meal include? Care and love. Never try to feed them slops.

Crème fraîche, cucumber and cabbage salad with nigella seeds

Cucumber and cabbage salad, St John-stlye. 'Care and love,' are the essential ingredients of any staff meal, says chef/patron Fergus Henderson. Photograph: Jason Lowe

Serves four.

180ml crème fraîche

1 tsp stone-ground mustard

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed

120ml canola oil (or olive oil)

1 large cucumber, cut in half lengthways and then into thin half-moons

1 small head green cabbage, quartered, cored and shredded

35g coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tbsp nigella seeds (optional)

Sea salt and black pepper

In a blender, combine the crème fraîche, mustard and lemon juice, then purée while adding oil in a slow stream until emulsified. Pour into a bowl, add the cucumber, cabbage and parsley, and stir to coat. Season with nigella seeds, salt, pepper and additional lemon juice, if desired. Refrigerate until chilled, then serve.

Curried rice with chickpeas

What, no meat? St John may be famed for nose-to-tail eating, but today's staff meal is a veggie-friendly curried rice with chickpeas. Photograph: Jason Lowe

Serves four.

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 small white onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 celery stalk, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 tbsp curry powder

185g basmati rice

120g drained canned chickpeas

425ml vegetable stock

40g golden raisins (optional)

25g toasted almond slivers (optional)

2 tbsp coarsely chopped chervil

Sea salt and black pepper

Lemon wedges, for serving

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat, and sauté the onion, celery and garlic until the onion is translucent; about six minutes. Add the curry powder, stir for a minute, then add the rice, chickpeas and stock, as well as the raisins and almonds, if using, and bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until the rice is tender and all the liquid absorbed; 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat, stir in the chervil, season and set aside, covered, for five minutes. Fluff with a fork, then heap on to platters bordered with lemon wedges.

• This is an edited extract from Come In We're Closed: An Invitation To Staff Meals At The World's Best Restaurants, by Christine Carroll and Jody Eddy, published by Running Press at £25. To order a copy for £20, with free UK mainland p&p, go to guardian.co.uk/bookshop, or call 0330 333 6846.