Christmas Eve is a curious gap in the festive calendar – too close to the main event to warrant chaos, too important to be phoned in. It’s the night when the house is half-decorated, the fridge is already groaning, and nobody wants to embark on anything that requires military-grade planning or a second trip to the shops. What you want is food that feels special but forgiving; comforting, but with just enough ceremony to mark the occasion.
That’s where this collection comes in. These are dishes designed for the in-between night – generous, warming, often make-ahead and happy to be eaten slowly with a glass of something good while the tree lights blink quietly in the corner. Pulled from the kitchens and cookbooks of some of the country’s best-known chefs – from Stephen Harris and Mary Berry to Yasmin Khan, Ainsley Harriott and Jamie Oliver – they’re recipes that prioritise pleasure over perfection.
There’s fish pie tucked neatly into a baked potato skin, the sort of clever, practical cooking Harris does so well; deeply comforting stews and braises from the likes of Poppy O’Toole and James Martin that reward low effort and long, lazy cooking; pasta and risotto that feel luxurious but won’t hijack your evening, courtesy of Padella’s Tim Siadatan and Joe Swash. Elsewhere, Annie Bell’s retro-leaning salmon en croûte and Joe Woodhouse’s showstopping vegan hasselback squash prove that Christmas Eve can still feel quietly impressive.
Crucially, these are recipes that understand timing – many can be prepped ahead, assembled earlier in the day or left gently burbling away while you do other things. Because Christmas Eve isn’t about perfection. It’s about taking the pressure down a notch, feeding people you like and enjoying the calm before the storm.
Baked potato fish pie
“This was an idea I saw around, and I am sorry that I can’t credit the person who came up with it, as it is really clever,” says chef Stephen Harris.
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Stephen Harris turns fish pie into clever Christmas Eve food you can eat with a napkin in hand (Kim Lightbody)
“The premise is that you make a fish pie inside a jacket potato skin, having scooped out the potato and mixed it with the fish pie filling. You can eat these around a bonfire with just a napkin to hold them. It is perfect for that time of year, when you may want to eat something warm, standing up, outside. They’re great for the beach as well.”
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Neutral oil, for rubbing on the potatoes
2 large baking potatoes, peeled
50g unsalted butter
1 onion, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
½ fennel bulb, finely diced
200ml vermouth
200g crème fraîche
300g skinless cod fillet, diced
200g prawns
1 small bunch of chives, chopped
Squeeze of lemon juice
50g Cheddar, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan.
2. Rub the potatoes with oil and season well on the outside. Bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a knife easily penetrates the flesh. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
3. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, then add the onion, celery and fennel. Sweat without colouring until soft, around 10 minutes.
4. Add a pinch of salt and the vermouth and boil until the vermouth has almost all evaporated. Now add the crème fraîche and let it melt into the pan. When it is simmering, add the cod fillet and prawns and stir them into the sauce. Cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
5. Cut the cooled potatoes in half lengthways and scoop out the flesh. Add the flesh to the fish mixture and stir to combine. Add the chives and a squeeze of lemon and check the seasoning.
6. Place the potato halves on a baking sheet and fill them with the fish mixture. Cover with the grated Cheddar, then place under a hot grill (broiler) until the cheese melts. Serve in napkins with wooden forks.
‘The Sportsman at Home’ by Stephen Harris (Quadrille, £30).
Beef bourguignon
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Poppy O’Toole’s slow-cooker classic is rich, cosy and built for minimal effort and maximum comfort (Haarala Hamilton)
“Picture it now… a beef bourguignon in the slow cooker. Red wine in the glass. Barry White on the Alexa. A rose between your teeth. OK, maybe a bit too far,” says chef Poppy O’Toole.
“And if I’m being honest, there’s probably better food to get you in the mood than this hearty beef and moist carrot stew, because after a bowl or two of this you’ll be needing at least a three-hour nap. But whatever floats your boat.”
If you’re partial to mustard, O’Toole recommends adding a spoonful of Dijon to the mixture before cooking, and serve either with mashed potato or crusty bread.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
800g beef shin, diced
200g pancetta
250g shallots, finely diced
2 celery sticks, finely diced
300g chestnut mushrooms, halved
2 carrots, thickly sliced
Small handful of thyme, leaves picked
2 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked
2 bay leaves
250ml red wine (I like Malbec)
250ml beef stock
30g butter, cubed (optional)
Splash of olive oil
1 tbsp cornflour, slackened with water
Salt and black pepper
Flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve (optional)
Method:
1. Season the beef generously with salt and let it come up to room temperature. Then tip it into the bowl of your slow cooker.
2. Add all the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the cornflour, along with one teaspoon of salt and lots of black pepper. Put the lid on and cook on high for five hours, until the beef is completely tender and shreds easily with a fork. Stir through the cornflour slurry, and scatter with a few flat-leaf parsley leaves to serve, if you like.
‘Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious Slow Cooker Cookbook’ by Poppy O’Toole (Bloomsbury Publishing, £20).
Halloumi lasagne
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Yasmin Khan’s vegetable-packed lasagne proves vegetarian cooking can still feel indulgent and generous (Jonathan Gregson)
“Lasagne is one of my ultimate comfort foods, and in the case of this particular lasagne, it’s not hard to understand why,” says Yasmin Khan.
“Soft layers of pasta and béchamel are interspersed with a rich tomato sauce laden with hearty Mediterranean vegetables such as squash, courgette, pepper, and aubergine, and then topped with thin slices of halloumi cheese for an irresistible appeal.
“I serve it with a crisp salad and some garlic bread. This freezes well, so it’s great for batch-cooking.”
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
550g peeled and deseeded butternut squash, cut into small pieces
450g courgettes, cut into small pieces
1 red pepper, cut into small pieces
2 medium aubergines, cut into small pieces
Olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 fat garlic cloves, finely grated
500ml passata
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp Aleppo pepper or other mild chilli flakes
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
120ml water
12 lasagne sheets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the béchamel sauce:
75g butter
80g plain flour
700ml milk
¼ tsp ground white pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
50g finely grated Parmesan cheese
Salt
Toppings:
200g block halloumi, very thinly sliced
25g finely grated Parmesan cheese
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas mark 4. Combine the squash, courgettes, red pepper, and aubergines on a large baking sheet (use two sheets if needed), drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil, season with a generous pinch of salt, and mix well with your hands. Roast for 30 minutes, or until soft.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 12 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the passata, vinegar, oregano, paprika, chilli flakes, and cinnamon and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add the roasted vegetables and season with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Add the water to loosen the mixture and mix well.
4. To make the béchamel, combine the butter and flour in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring to form a paste. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often. Add the milk, white pepper, and nutmeg and whisk for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce is thick and smooth. Stir in the 50g Parmesan and ¼ teaspoon salt.
5. Now begin layering. Spoon one-third of the vegetable mixture into a 2.6 litre glass baking dish and cover with one-third of the lasagne sheets in a single layer. Top with one-third of the béchamel. Repeat with two more layers each of vegetables, pasta, and béchamel. Top the lasagne with the halloumi and the 25g Parmesan.
6. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 25 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes to allow the filling to settle before cutting the lasagne.
‘Sabzi: Fresh Vegetarian Recipes for Every Day’ by Yasmin Khan (Bloomsbury Publishing, £26).
Salmon en croûte with stem ginger and currants
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Annie Bell’s retro showstopper brings festive drama with a sweet-savoury twist (Chris Alack)
An oldie but a goodie, based on Jane Grigson’s famed “salmon in pastry”, which in turn was based on a dish served many years ago at the Hole in the Wall in Bath. It’s one of those strange but magical combinations that has the air of being special every time you try it. If it’s a “blow the cholesterol” occasion, you could make a sleek little sauce with crème fraîche, a dash of Dijon mustard and some chopped leafy herbs such as dill, chives and flat-leaf parsley.
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
100g unsalted butter, softened
4 knobs of stem ginger in syrup, finely chopped
30g currants
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus a couple of squeezes of juice
1 tbsp finely chopped tarragon leaves
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
Sea salt, black pepper
1.2kg salmon fillet, in one piece (skinned weight)
375g puff pastry
1 egg yolk, blended with 1 tsp water
Method:
1. Blend the butter in a bowl with the ginger, currants, lemon zest and juice, tarragon, shallot and some seasoning. Halve the salmon fillet horizontally. Season both sides of each piece, then spread half the butter over the top of one piece, sandwich with the other and spread the remaining butter on top of this.
2. Thinly roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface, and place the salmon in the centre, buttered side down. Trim the long edges so they are just large enough to enclose the salmon, then seal the parcel, painting the rim of the pastry with eggwash to secure it.
3. Trim the ends, paint these with eggwash and fold in to secure. Place the parcel the right way up, and use the pastry trimmings to decorate it with leaves or a fish, securing them to the top with eggwash. Now paint the top all over with eggwash. The parcel can be made up to half a day in advance, in which case, cover and chill it until required.
4. Preheat the oven to 200C fan/220C/gas mark 7 and bake the pie for about 40 minutes. Serve in slices.
‘Gorgeous Christmas’ by Annie Bell (Kyle Cathie, £14.99).
Seafood and ’nduja stew
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Katie Caldesi’s seafood stew delivers warmth and depth without weighing Christmas Eve down (Maja Smend)
“Seafood is excellent on a low-carb diet as it is high in protein for satiety and low in carbs,” says cookbook writer Katie Caldesi.
The dish also features ’nduja, “a spicy, spreadable salami that has a warm heat and just makes everything it touches a little more interesting,” she adds.
“Used here for an instant hit of garlic, chilli and umami, it is a brilliant background for the fish without overwhelming them. Versions of ’nduja can alter, so do taste yours to see if it is very spicy or salty, and adjust the amount you use accordingly. You can always add more later or add smoked paprika to taste.
“Serve on its own in bowls or with cauli-rice and low-carb bread on the side for mopping up the sauce. If buying frozen calamari, do read the label carefully; the cooked variety simply needs warming in the sauce rather than a slow-cook.”
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
80-100g ’nduja
4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
2 onions, finely sliced
500g fresh, or frozen and defrosted, raw calamari (squid), cleaned and cut into 1cm rings
200ml dry white wine
3 × 400g cans Italian plum tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
250g clams or mussels, or a mixture
1-2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
500g monkfish, cod or coley, or other firm fish, cut into bite-sized pieces
250g raw prawns, heads left intact, shells and black veins removed
Small handful of parsley, leaves and stems roughly chopped
Salt and pepper
Method:
1. Heat the olive oil and 80 grams of the ’nduja in a frying pan (with a lid) over a medium heat for a few minutes, bashing the ’nduja with a wooden spoon to break it up. Add the garlic and onions, then continue to cook for around 10 minutes, stirring to prevent it burning, until the onion is soft.
2. Add the calamari to the pan and let it cook until the water is released from the calamari, about 10 minutes. When the calamari has a ‘bouncy’ appearance, add the wine and allow this to evaporate for five minutes. Add the tomatoes and the purée and bring the stew to a bubbling heat. Then lower the heat and simmer for at least one-and-a-half hours, partially covered, or until the calamari is soft.
3. Keep the clams or mussels in the fridge until you are ready to use them. Generally, they are purged and cleaned when you buy them, but to be sure, put them into a bowl of cold water and stir them through. Leave them for 20–30 minutes in a cool place (the fridge if your kitchen isn’t cool), stirring a few times to encourage them to release any grit. Pick over them, discarding any that remain open once tapped. Pull any fuzzy beards off the mussels. Discard any shellfish with broken shells. Drain and use straight away.
4. Taste the stew and add more ’nduja or smoked paprika for spice or salt and pepper. The stew can be cooled and kept for one to two days at this point, if it makes entertaining easier. Reheat until bubbling before continuing.
5. Just before serving, drop the monkfish, prawns and mussels, if using, into the hot stew with the lid on and continue to cook for around 10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through, the prawns are pink, and the clams or mussels have opened (discard any that haven’t). Serve straight away with the parsley scattered over.
‘The Diabetes Weight-Loss Plan’ by Katie Caldesi (Kyle Books, £22).
Mushroom stronganoff
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A deeply savoury, meat-free comfort dish that relies on good technique rather than fuss (Sorted Food)
Serves: 6 portions
Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
4 tbsp olive oil
1kg chestnut mushrooms
2 brown onions
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp tomato purée
187ml white wine
300ml sour cream
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 vegetable stock cube
30g fresh parsley
Method:
1. Boil the kettle
2. Thinly slice 1kg of mushrooms. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the hot frying pan. Add the mushrooms with a pinch of salt. Fry for 10-12 minutes until deep golden and no liquid remains in the pan. Use a wide frying pan or work in batches – overcrowding mushrooms will steam them instead of browning.
3. Once the mushrooms are ready, transfer them to a large bowl. Return the pan to a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook for 8-10 minutes until soft and starting to caramelise.
4. Add 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes until darkened.
5. Add 187ml of white wine, bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Return the mushrooms to the pan. Stir in 300ml of sour cream, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard and crumble in one vegetable stock cube. Tip in 200ml of water. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened – the sauce should be silky, not too thick; if it reduces too much, loosen with a splash of water or stock.
7. Finely chop 30g of parsley, then get on with the washing up while you wait for the stroganoff to finish cooking.
8. Stir the parsley through the stroganoff. Serve over pasta or rice or turn into a pie with a sheet of puff pastry.
Batch-cooking note: Freezer-friendly: cool completely, portion, and freeze for up to 2 months. Best to stir through parsley fresh when serving. If freezing, swap sour cream for crème fraîche (more stable). Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, reheat gently (don’t boil or the cream may split).
Sortedfood.com
Mediterranean sea bass and potato bake
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Ainsley Harriott’s sunlit fish bake offers a welcome escape from heavy winter cooking (Dan Jones)
You might not be able to go on holiday right now, but this classic fish dish inspired by the food of Corsica might transport you there.
“Sometimes it’s the simplicity of dishes that makes them taste so delicious; pared-back cooking really allows the ingredients to shine,” says Ainsley Harriott.
This recipe also works well with bream or snapper, the chef adds – and Harriott says feel free to use the whole fish (cooked for 18-20 minutes) rather than just fillets.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 sea bass fillets, skin on
2 lemons: 1 thinly sliced, 1 for squeezing
4 large waxy potatoes (Désirée work well), peeled and thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
120ml white wine
2 bay leaves
3 thyme sprigs
3 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp fresh marjoram or oregano leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh bread, to serve
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line an ovenproof dish with baking parchment. Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper and squeeze over a little lemon juice. Set aside.
2. Layer the potatoes and onions in the bottom of the lined ovenproof dish, season well with salt and black pepper, then add a layer of tomatoes.
3. Sprinkle over the garlic, then place a few lemon slices on top. Drizzle over the oil, squeeze over some more lemon juice and pour in the wine. Add the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, two tablespoons of the parsley and sprinkle over half of the marjoram leaves. Season well with salt and pepper, cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.
4. Remove the dish from the oven and lay the fish fillets in the dish skin-side up. Sprinkle with the remaining marjoram and bake uncovered for a further 12-14 minutes or until the fish is cooked through (it should flake easily when cooked). Use a spatula or fish slice to carefully remove the fish from the dish, cover loosely with foil, and keep warm.
5. Return the vegetables to the oven to bake for a further four to five minutes (if needed) until the potatoes turn golden brown in places. Remove from the oven and serve immediately, scattered with the remaining fresh parsley, with some fresh bread on the side.
‘Ainsley’s Mediterranean Cookbook’ by Ainsley Harriott (Ebury Press, £20).
Smoked salmon pasta
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Jamie Oliver’s one-pan pasta is Christmas Eve elegance in under 15 minutes (David Loftus)
For a speedy midweek meal, it doesn’t get better than this.
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
125g fresh lasagne sheets
2 spring onions
80g spinach
60g smoked salmon (2 slices), from sustainable sources
½ a lemon
5g Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
1 tbsp cottage cheese
Optional: extra virgin olive oil
Method:
1. Boil the kettle. Cut the lasagne sheets in half lengthways, then into 2cm strips, using a crinkle-cut knife, if you’ve got one. Trim the spring onions and finely chop with the spinach and half the salmon. Finely grate the lemon zest, then the Parmesan, keeping them separate. Put a 28cm frying pan on a high heat.
2. Once hot, put a little drizzle of olive oil into the pan with the spring onions, spinach, chopped salmon and lemon zest. Scatter the pasta into the pan, then carefully pour in enough boiling kettle water to just cover the pasta – about 250ml. Let it bubble away for four minutes, or until the pasta has absorbed most of the water and you’ve got a nice sauce, stirring regularly and loosening with an extra splash of water, if needed. Turn the heat off, squeeze in the lemon juice, stir in the cottage cheese and Parmesan, then season to perfection. Delicately tear over the remaining salmon, and finish with a kiss of extra virgin olive oil, if you like.
‘ONE: Simple One-Pan Wonders’ by Jamie Oliver (Penguin Random House © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited, £28).
Hasselback butternut squash with chestnuts, pecans and green sauce
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Joe Woodhouse’s vegan centrepiece brings texture, drama and proper festive appeal (OcadoLife)
Created by chef, photographer and author Joe Woodhouse, this hasselback butternut squash with chestnuts, pecans and green sauce makes a mouthwatering vegan centrepiece to serve up for a special lunch, and is a perfect choice for Christmas. “Hasselbacking (slicing, basically!) results in plenty of caramelised edges and succulent sections to portion out,” says Joe. “It’s a real showstopper, too, so everyone will want to get stuck in – vegan or not!”
Serves: 6
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 55 minutes
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash (1-1.2kg), halved lengthways, deseeded
100ml olive oil, plus 4½ tbsp
3 onions, quartered
150g cooked peeled chestnuts, crushed or roughly chopped
100g pecans, crushed or roughly chopped
25g curly parsley, finely chopped
25g mint, leaves picked and finely chopped, plus extra to serve (optional)
1 unwaxed lemon, zested and juiced, plus extra wedges to serve (optional)
50g capers, drained and finely chopped
20g flat-leaf parsley sprigs, to serve (optional)
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Lay the squash halves, cut-side down, on a board. Carefully slice widthways at 1cm intervals, all along the length, being careful not to cut all the way through. (One way to do this is to lie each squash half cut-side down and place a wooden spoon either side of it: the knife will hit the spoons, preventing you from cutting all the way down.)
2. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large roasting tin and place the squash halves in it, cut-side down (don’t worry if any sections come apart, just place them back together). Dot the onions around the tin, drizzle with another 2 tablespoons of oil, season and roast for 45 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, put the chestnuts and pecans in a bowl. Add a teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt; mix well.
4. Scatter the nut mixture over the squash; return to the oven for 10 minutes or until crisp.
5. For the sauce, in a small bowl, mix the finely chopped curly parsley and mint with the lemon zest and juice, oil and capers. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
6. Put the squash on a platter with the onions (and lemon wedges and a scattering of flat-leaf parsley and mint, if using). Finish with a grind of black pepper and the sauce spooned over. Store leftovers chilled in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Mushroom risotto
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Joe Swash’s creamy risotto leans into comfort, finished with golden mushrooms for depth (Dan Jones)
“I didn’t like mushrooms as a child and wouldn’t eat them,” says actor, TV presenter and now cookbook author Joe Swash, who developed a taste for them during his time on I’m a Celebrity… in 2008, thanks to fellow contestant Timmy Mallett.
“[He] was a vegetarian and he’d be given some wild mushrooms. He’d fry them up and I just had to try some – they smelled so good. I loved them and after that, poor old Timmy had to share his mushrooms with me every night. Now, one of my favourite things is a good mushroom risotto.”
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
50g butter
1 small onion or shallot, finely chopped
1 leek, finely chopped
300g mushrooms (white/button/cremini/chestnut), finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 large sprig of thyme, leaves picked
400g risotto rice
100ml white wine or Vermouth
1.5L chicken or mushroom stock
50g Parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve
Salt and black pepper
To garnish:
15g butter
250g mixed mushrooms, sliced if large
2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
Method:
1. Heat the olive oil and half the butter in a large sauté pan. Add the onion or shallot and the leek and cook very gently, stirring regularly, until soft and translucent.
2. Add the mushrooms to the pan. Turn up the heat and fry until they have given out their liquid and look dry but glossy. Add the garlic and thyme and stir for a couple more minutes.
3. Add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes until glossy with butter. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the wine or Vermouth and let it bubble away until almost completely evaporated.
4. Add a large ladleful of the hot stock. Stir constantly but slowly until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, then continue to add ladlefuls of stock in the same way until the rice has plumped up and is al dente and the sauce around it is creamy. You may have a small amount of the stock left.
5. Add the remaining butter and the Parmesan and beat it into the risotto – this will make the risotto extra creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Cover and keep warm.
6. Place a frying pan over a high heat and add the butter. When it is foaming, add the mixed mushrooms and fry them very quickly until well browned. Add the garlic and stir for a couple of minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
7. Serve the risotto garnished with the mushrooms and more grated Parmesan for people to add at the table.
‘Joe’s Kitchen: Homemade Meals For A Happy Family’ by Joe Swash (Pavilion Books, £22).
Beef pie with star anise carrots
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James Martin’s rich, old-school pie is made for cold nights and hungry tables (Dan Jones)
“This is basically a braised beef stew turned into a pie,” says James Martin. “We get a lot of letters and emails from people complaining that a pie isn’t a pie without a base! But this is such a simple dish.
“For the beef, make sure you get big chunks – you don’t want the stewing beef that’s already cut up as the chunks are too small and they fall to bits in your stew. You want chunks and whole carrots, as you want to be able to taste everything.”
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
2kg shin of beef, cut into large dice
2 shallots, diced
250ml beer
500ml red wine
A few sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
500g ready-made puff pastry
1 egg yolk, beaten
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the carrots:
400g whole carrots, peeled, with 1cm green tops left on
100g caster sugar
5 star anise
100g butter
Method:
1. In a very large casserole dish, over a medium-high heat, fry the beef in batches until deeply coloured. Season with salt and pepper, then pop it all back into the pan with the shallots, cover with the beer and wine and add the herbs.
2. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for two to three hours, until the beef is very tender. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool.
3. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan.
4. Use the beef stew to fill a 20cm ovenproof pie dish. Roll out the pastry to 2mm thick and slightly larger than the dish. Brush the top edges of the dish with egg wash, then pop the pastry on, crimp and seal the edges and garnish with pastry leaves (cut from the pastry offcuts) and egg-wash these too.
5. Put the dish onto a baking tray to avoid any overspill and bake in the oven for 40 minutes until the pastry is risen and deep golden.
6. Meanwhile, pop all the ingredients for the carrots into a pan, bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, then simmer for 20 minutes until the carrots are tender. Serve with the beef pie.
‘James Martin’s Saturday Morning’ by James Martin (Quadrille, £25).
Tagliarini with crab, chilli, lemon and parsley
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Padella’s signature pasta proves simplicity is often the most luxurious option (Sam A Harris)
“This rarely comes off the menu at Padella, and for me it is one of the most elegant pasta dishes in the world,” says Tim Siadatan. “I love the mix of the delicate sweet white crab and creamy brown crab meat, which gives a much fuller shellfish flavour than if you just use the prized white meat.
“With all creatures from the sea, ‘fresh is best’, and especially with crab. Ideally, buy them live and then cook and prep them yourself – it’s a bit of a faff, but it’s worth it and there are loads of tutorials online to guide you. Alternatively, a good fishmonger will sell freshly picked crab.”
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
450g fresh tagliarini (also works with: fresh fettuccine; dried linguine, spaghetti or bucatini)
300g freshly picked white crab meat
150g freshly picked brown crab meat
2 heaped tbsp finely chopped red chilli (deseeded)
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 heaped tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
About 150ml high-quality extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to finish
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. For the pasta, in a large cooking pot, bring 4-5 litres of water to the boil and add a fistful of salt.
2. In a large bowl, mix the white and brown crab meat together with the chilli, lemon zest and juice, chopped parsley and about 150ml of the extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Transfer the crab mixture to a pan large enough to easily hold the cooked pasta as well and add a small ladle (about 60ml) of the seasoned pasta water. Stir (off the heat) to combine; the hot pasta water will warm the crab through.
4. Loosen the pasta bundles through your fingers so they won’t stick together as they cook. Drop the tagliarini into the boiling water and cook for about 1-1½ minutes. Drain the pasta as soon as it’s ready, keeping two mugs of pasta water.
5. Add the pasta to the crab mixture with half a mug (about 120ml) of pasta water. Stir vigorously over a medium heat for about 1 minute until all the crab is coated around the pasta and the sauce has thickened. You might need to add splashes of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if it becomes too dry. Be careful to add just enough to get the consistency of the sauce right; if it’s too thin, you’ll end up overcooking the delicate crab as you reduce the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and/or pepper if required.
6. Divide the pasta between hot plates, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and eat immediately.
‘Padella’ by Tim Siadatan (Bloomsbury Publishing, £25).
Tuscan chicken
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Mary Berry’s dependable classic keeps Christmas Eve calm, creamy and crowd-pleasing (Laura Edwards)
“Based on a classic, this is one of our favourites for an easy supper. Use chicken breasts, if you prefer,” says Mary Berry.
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
6 large skinless chicken thighs, bone-in
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large red pepper, deseeded and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp tomato puree
30g sun-blushed tomatoes, chopped
150ml white wine
150ml chicken stock
150ml pouring double cream
150g baby spinach
55g Parmesan, grated
Method:
1. Place the chicken thighs in a bowl. Add the flour and half the paprika and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss together to coat.
2. Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan over a high heat. Add the chicken and fry for three to four minutes on each side, until browned and crisp. Set aside on a plate.
3. Add the onion and pepper to the unwashed pan and fry for four to five minutes over a medium heat, until soft. You may need a little more oil. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
4. Stir in the purée, tomatoes, wine and stock and bring up to the boil. Return the chicken to the pan with any resting juices, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until tender.
5. Add the cream and spinach to the pan and stir until wilted. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with the cheese and serve piping hot.
‘Cook And Share’ by Mary Berry (BBC Books, £27).
Dining and Cooking