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Christmas is a time of overwhelming choice, especially when it comes to food. So, to help you navigate the festive feasting, we asked 16 top chefs and cooks to tell us what they buy or make to give to the people brave enough to invite them over.
Reassuringly, it turns out that even the most decorated chefs love a Ferrero Rocher, a nice glass of sherry, a good mince pie and a decent cheeseboard at this time of year. And everyone is attached to their own traditions, whether that’s the apple tart Matthew Ryle’s family loves in place of Christmas pudding, the hot chocolate-and marshmallow kit Yotam Ottolenghi’s kids can never resist, or Sabrina Ghayour’s favourite truffle-infused cheddar.
‘In Italy, smoked salmon without Russian salad wasn’t Christmas’
Giorgio Locatelli
“From a very young age, I helped out in my family’s restaurant in Lombardy every Christmas Day,” says Giorgio Locatelli. “And when we finished at five o’clock in the afternoon, everyone would go to the local pastry shop, because it was the biggest place and we would all have a meal there.” There was always smoked salmon. Today, if Locatelli is asked to bring food to a Christmas gathering, he takes salmon made by the Smokin’ Brothers (£8.90, smokin-brothers.com). “It is unbelievably good – the three brothers are very careful about sourcing quality fish.” He likes to serve it with Russian salad. “In Italy, smoked salmon without Russian salad wasn’t Christmas.” His base ingredients are always cooked potatoes, peas and carrots dressed in mayo. “But it’s versatile: you can add chicken, you can make it with pumpkin, you can make it vegan. I like to drain large gherkins to get rid of the vinegar, and then dice them into it.” He would never go to someone’s house without a bottle of his own olive oil (£25 for 500ml, shop.nationalgallery.org.uk) for the host. “Olive oil is such a good present, because it lasts. When they’re using it in February, they will remember you.”
Giorgio Locatelli’s new restaurant is at the National Gallery in London
‘Jamon is my tradition – my mum is 92 and has a slice every day’
José Pizarro
“It is my tradition to take a whole leg of jamon to my mum’s house,” says chef José Pizarro, who grew up in Extremadura, Spain. “My mum is 92 and she has a slice of jamon every day. A leg weighs about 8kg, and in five days, between the 13 of us, it will be gone.” It’s £690.50 for a whole leg (£26.50 for 70g, shop.josepizarro.com); try Waitrose’s Jamon Iberico de Bellota (£14.55 for 100g, waitrose.com) for a budget option.
“Another thing I always, always take to Christmas,” says Pizarro, “is sherry. As an aperitif I love, Tio Pepe fino (£12.75, thewhiskyexchange.com), or for something a little more expensive, Valdespino Inocente (£20.95, leaandsandeman.co.uk), which is also a fino and is aged for 10 years under a layer of yeast called flor, so it’s very dry. And then I love Matusalem (£28.95, thewhiskyexchange.com), which is a blend of pedro ximénez sherry and oloroso. Since it is sweet and nutty, it goes very well with turrón, a Spanish version of nougat made with almonds (£9.25 for 125g, brindisa.com).”
Jose Pizarro’s latest restaurant is Lolo in London SE1
‘My sons make a beeline for hot chocolate’
Yotam Ottolenghi
“It’s helpful to have easy-to-rustle-up snacks and treats over the holidays that still feel special,” says Yotam Ottolenghi. “For a quick canape, I brush cocktail sausages with my sticky date and tamarind sauce (£4.75, ottolenghi.co.uk). It makes them glossy and tangy. I always make a big batch of spiced nuts: 100g cashews, 100g macadamias, 120g pecans, 60g skin-on almonds and 80g pumpkin seeds roasted at 170C (150F fan)/325F/gas 3 for 15 minutes with a tablespoon of sunflower seeds, two of nigella seeds, three of sunflower oil, two of honey, a teaspoon of fine salt and the leaves from two sprigs of rosemary. After cooking, when they’re cool, stir in two teaspoons each of coarsely ground pepper and cayenne.”
Cheese is non-negotiable for Ottolenghi. “I love lingering around the cave at La Fromagerie in London; there are few places that make you feel more festive. Where do I start? Colston Bassett stilton, Comté D’estive, Ticklemore, Pecorino Sardo (from £14.30 for 250g, lafromagerie.co.uk).
“On drinks, my sons make a beeline for hot chocolate with marshmallows that we sell in tubs at our delis (£59, ottolenghi.co.uk – the set includes hot chocolate and marshmallows, cinnamon bun cookies and a reusable cup). While they’re busy with that, I’ll be experimenting with a cocktail from Alice Lascelles’ book The Cocktail Edit (£18.98, Quadrille) – her recipes have just the right mix of classic and playful. Once I have had my fill, a glass of Botivo (£27.50, widely available) and soda with a wheel of orange is there for a non-alcoholic moment.”
‘A brine mix to give turkey a flavour boost’
Julie Lin
“I like to take something people will use,” says Scottish-Malaysian chef Julie Lin. “I’ve been making a dry turkey brine mix to give to friends in advance: three tablespoons of salt, one tablespoon of MSG, one tablespoon of sugar, one tablespoon of black pepper, one teaspoon of garlic powder, one teaspoon of onion powder, a sprig of rosemary, chopped finely, and one teaspoon of smoked paprika. Then I put it in little jars with instructions for how to use it: pat the turkey dry, rub the brine under the skin and over the entire bird, including the cavity (you may not need it all). Set it on a rack and refrigerate, uncovered for 24–48 hours. (Do not rinse.) Then roast. Salt and MSG penetrate deeply, boosting moisture and flavour while the uncovered chill dries the skin for superior crispness.”
Lin also makes Sichuan pepper chocolate truffles: tweak your favourite recipe by stirring in one teaspoon of finely ground Sichuan pepper and a pinch of salt while the mixture is still liquid. Allow to cool until just firm, then use a small spoon to scoop out bitesize servings of the ganache. Working quickly, shape into balls then roll in cocoa powder, chocolate flakes or toasted sesame. Chill. “Pop them in a tin and it’s a lovely gift to arrive with.”
To drink, Lin is all about whisky and beer. “Much of the Scottish whisky industry is made up of men saying you must drink your fiery drams straight, but I’ve been giving friends whisky from Fettercairn (£52, fettercairnwhisky.com), which is delicious and not horribly peaty. I created a tamarind and lemongrass sour with Drygate in Glasgow, called Sama Sama (£2.50 for 330ml, drygate.com).”
Sama Sama: Comfort Food from My Malaysian-Scottish Kitchen by Julie Lin is out now
‘This black truffle cheddar is like crack’
Sabrina Ghayour
“I like giving panettone, but making them from scratch is hell in a hand basket – I did it once and never again,” says chef Sabrina Ghayour. “I usually buy pandoro (Muzzi, £30.99, souschef.co.uk), which don’t contain candied fruit – not everyone likes it – and, like panettone, they’re great because they last for ages and don’t steal the limelight if someone has made a wonderful cake or pudding. As a chef, the last thing I want to do is arrive with something that outshines anything else. I always turn up with champagne, cheese and Peter’s Yard charcoal or fig crackers (from £2, widely available).
I used to bring Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne back from France, but now you can get it in Sainsbury’s for £29.50 – a really good price. If you want to spend a bit more, go for Billecart-Salmon le Rosé champagne (£75, majestic.co.uk). I never used to like blue cheeses much, but now I’m addicted to Colston Bassett’s blues (from £4, widely available), and I bloody love Godminster cheeses, both the normal cheddar and their black truffle cheddar (from £7, widely available). I usually veto anything with truffle added to it, but this is like crack.”
Sabrina Ghayour’s latest book is Persiana Easy
‘A gorgeous trifle that’s super easy to make’
Georgie Mullen
“I like to give people things they can eat pretty much immediately,” says Georgie Mullen. “ I do a pomegranate and blood orange trifle with a white chocolate custard: the colours are beautiful so it looks gorgeous, but it’s super easy because I use shop-bought custard. At Christmas, especially if you’re making something as a gesture for someone else, you don’t want to cause yourself too much faff.”
First, make the jelly by boiling together 710ml pomegranate juice, two tablespoons of caster sugar, the juice of half a lemon and 12g (two sachets) of Vege-Gel. Remove from the heat and cool for 15 minutes. Slice 400g madeira cake into thin pieces, then brush with 35ml Cointreau. Use the cake to line a glass bowl big enough for the whole trifle and pour over any remaining Cointreau. Peel and slice four blood oranges, removing any pips. Arrange the slices against the glass above the cake; any that don’t fit around the sides can lay on top of the cake. Ladle the jelly over, letting it come up around the sides of the orange slices. Set in the fridge for three to four hours. Combine 750ml good-quality custard with 300g melted white chocolate then pour it over the jelly and smooth over the top. Return to the fridge for at least an hour, or until serving. When ready to serve, whip 500ml of double cream into soft peaks. Spread roughly over the custard and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and a small handful of chopped pistachio.
If she’s not cooking, Mullen pairs drinks with food as Christmas contributions, such as 10-year-old tawny port (from £25, widely available) with good-quality dark chocolate. “It’s nice to bring something as a set: I give cheese scones with a hunk of cheddar, some butter and a jar of quick pickled apples.” For the pickle, boil together 125ml white vinegar, two tablespoons caster sugar, a bay leaf, a cinnamon stick and 10 peppercorns, then pour over one large eating apple, peeled and thinly sliced. Store in a sterilised jar.
What to Cook & When to Cook It by Georgie Mullen is out now
‘I always take sugar mice for my nephews’
Ben Lippett
Chef Ben Lippett likes to make devils on horseback for parties: he wraps prunes in thick-cut bacon, bakes and then glazes them with his own Dr Sting’s Hot Honey (£8.99 for 260g, drstings.com). “I’m quite partial to a bit of comté tucked inside, or blue cheese or even marzipan.”
He gets smoked trout and paté from Andrew’s Smokehouse in London (trout, from £15.50 for 200g; paté £6.49, andrewssmokehouse.com). “He’s the nicest guy and his produce is fantastic. Hard Lines coffee in Cardiff recently gave me some of their festive blend which tastes like lebkuchen (£13.50 for 250g, hard-lines.co.uk). I’m good friends with the people who run Hand Brew Co in Brighton, and they’ve done some amazing beers and collaborations – there’s one with David Shrigley called Toadlicker (£4.20 for 440ml, handbrewco.com). Oh, and I always take sugar mice for my nephews.” (Boyne’s sugar mice, £3.50, english-heritageshop.org.uk.)
How I Cook by Ben Lippett is out now
‘Whoever gets the coin has good luck for the year’
Christina Soteriou
Chef and plant-based food writer Christina Soteriou’s family is from Cyprus. She makes two traditional bakes every holiday season: a vasilopita sponge cake with a coin baked into it (“Whoever gets the coin has good luck for the year,” she says), and melomakarona, orange spiced cookies, soaked in syrup. This is her mum’s recipe: “In a large bowl, beat 175g caster sugar with 275ml olive oil and 250g soft butter or vegan margarine. Stir in 100ml brandy together with the juice and zest of two oranges and one lemon. Sift 1kg self-raising flour with three teaspoons of baking powder and add it to the oil mixture a cupful at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture becomes firm and manageable. Preheat the oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5. Take a tablespoon of mixture and shape into an oval. Using your index and middle fingers, make a slight ridge along the length of each shortcake. Place on to lightly greased baking sheets spaced 2.5cm apart. Bake for 30–35 minutes (in two batches) or until risen and golden brown. Leave to cool. Place 275ml water, 75g sugar, 250ml honey and one teaspoon of whole cloves into a saucepan and boil for five minutes, removing any froth. Discard the cloves. Mix 75g chopped walnuts with two teaspoons of ground cinnamon on a large plate. Place two melomakarona at a time on a slotted spoon, dip quickly into the hot syrup, then place straight on to the walnuts. Turn to coat and shake off the excess. Cool before serving.”
Christina Soteriou’s new book Big Veg Energy is out now
‘At Christmas, my granny always brought a box of Ferrero Rocher – now I do, too’
Justin Tsang
Justin Tsang started his career cheffing in his parents’ Chinese restaurant; he now has a huge online following as Justin the “Dustbin”, creating recipes with ingredients from Korea, Hong Kong and Japan as well as China. “For the last couple of years, I’ve been buying jars of Eat Trout roe (£9.95, sainsburys.co.uk) before Christmas and adding three tablespoons of mirin, three tablespoons of soy sauce and a dash of yuzu juice and letting the roe sit in it until it plumps up, like cured caviar – pretty much anywhere you go at Christmas, there’s going to be smoked salmon to go with this; I can eat it by the spoonful.
“Whenever my granny came to see us at Christmas, she always brought a box of Ferrero Rocher (from £7, widely available), so now I do that, too, and my wife and I always take a bottle of Chapel Down sparkling wine (£30 for classic non-vintage brut, waitrose.com).” Tsang’s wife’s family is English, and though he loves Christmas, sometimes finds himself craving flavours not usually found in a traditional roast. “So for the day after, when I really want some heat and sourness, I always take spicy Nongshim Shin Ramyun instant noodles (£1.25, widely available) and some chilli oil and pour yesterday’s gravy and all the leftovers into the soup and braise them. It brings me alive.”
Long Day? Eat This by Justin Tsang is out now
‘This lentil dip doesn’t need a blender’
Alison Roman
“At Christmas I love to take a lentil dip to parties – it’s my best interpretation of ‘fava’, the classic Greek dip,” says Alison Roman. “The best part about it is you don’t need a food processor or blender: the lentils cook in just enough water to fully break them down.” Bring 650ml water to the boil and add 250g yellow lentils and a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the lentils are tender, cooked through and pass into total mush. As they cook, stir them pretty constantly to encourage them to further break down into a coarse paste (not watery or soupy). This should take 20–25 minutes. Once the lentils are the perfect dip texture, remove from the heat. Add two tablespoons of lemon juice, two tablespoons of olive oil and two cloves of garlic, grated. Season with salt, plus more lemon juice if you want. Let cool. Fry two finely sliced cloves of garlic and 10 sage leaves in two tablespoons of olive oil until crisp. Spoon the toasted garlic-herb mixture over to serve.
The full lentil dip recipe appears in Something from Nothing by Alison Roman, out now
‘Chocolate salamis are perfect to snack on while watching a Christmas movie’
Ixta Belfrage
“I often bring things I’m well known for making,” says Ixta Belfrage, who has Mexican and Brazilian heritage. “Like pink pickled onions, which have a zingy crunch and can jazz up vegetables or go on a crostino, and work well with smoked salmon, eggs and meats. To make them, slice onions and cover in a 50/50 mixture of lime juice and tangerine juice, a generous sprinkle of salt and some dried hibiscus flowers, which turns the onions bright pink.”
Belfrage also likes to make chocolate salamis for friends. “They’re perfect to snack on while you watch a Christmas movie.” To make her mint chocolate salami: set a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water on a medium-low heat. Add 90g unsalted butter, 100g mint dark chocolate and 130g milk chocolate, all chopped, and cook, stirring now and then, until melted and combined. Remove from the heat and stir in 75ml whole milk and one tablespoon of espresso coffee until smooth. Fold in 200g ginger nut biscuits, chopped, and 100g roasted salted and chopped pecans, then transfer to the fridge for 25 minutes, until cooled but not set. Get a large sheet of greaseproof paper ready, and spoon the cooled chocolate mix on to it. Use the paper to help you roll out the chocolate into a 30cm x 6cm log or salami shape. Twist the ends of the paper to enclose the mix, then put on a tray and refrigerate until set – about five hours. Remove from the fridge a few times during that period, and roll again in its wrapping, so it keeps its shape. Sift one tablespoon of icing sugar on to a large piece of greaseproof paper, then unwrap the log directly on to it. Sift another tablespoon of icing sugar on top of the salami, then rub the icing sugar all over the sides. Arrange on a wooden board, cut into slices and serve. And to drink? “I’m not really drinking at the moment; the non-alcoholic aperitivo by Vault (£29.50, vaultaperitivo.com) makes a very nice negroni.”
Ixta Belfrage’s second cookbook Fusão is out now
‘I like to give pedro ximénez sherry: I found a really good version and it’s only £7.65’
Ravneet Gill
“I’m a sucker for a good panettone,” says pastry chef, cookbook author and restaurateur Ravneet Gill. “There’s a guy who calls himself Kouttone who sells amazing panettone on Instagram – all the people in the know order from him and you can only buy them via DM. He makes traditional panettone or ones with pistachios, milk chocolate and tonka beans inside. When he goes live each year, I try to buy some to give as presents (available now, £55, instagram.com/kouttone.uk). I always buy a stack of Pierre Marcolini pralines (from £27, marcolini.co.uk) – they’re my favourite chocolates to give out, they’re super special and really luxurious. I like to take mince pies – the brown butter ones in Waitrose are excellent (£4 for six, waitrose.com). I’m not really a drinker but I like to give pedro ximénez sherry to sip or drizzle on a dessert. I had a really good version the other day from Co-op and it’s only £7.65!”
Ravneet Gill’s new restaurant is Gina in Chingford; ginarestaurant.co.uk
‘This tarte tatin makes an impressive centrepiece’
Matthew Ryle
“No one in my family likes Christmas pudding, so it’s become a tradition for me to take an apple tarte tatin,” says Matthew Ryle, executive head chef at Maison François. “It’s impressive, it’s a centrepiece and you can put Christmas spices like cloves and star anise into the caramel.” To make it, preheat the oven to 180C (160F fan)/350F/gas 4. Peel six pink lady apples, cut in half and remove the cores, then leave to dry at room temperature for an hour, if you have time. Put 100g soft butter in a nonstick, ovenproof 20cm frying pan and sprinkle 100g caster sugar on top. Place a cinnamon stick in the centre and two star anise on either side. Neatly arrange the apples on top, standing them up to pack them all into the pan. Roll 500g of puff pastry to the thickness of a pound coin. Cut a disc out of the pastry about an inch bigger than the pan. Lay over the apples, and tuck in the pastry edges around them. Prick all over with a fork and cut a small hole in the centre. Put the pan over a high heat for 5-10 minutes. This starts the cooking process; you are making the caramel in the pan, so should be able to see through the small cut in the pastry when the caramel is brown and ready. Place the pan in the oven for 50 minutes. Once cooked, leave to rest in the pan for 30 minutes before turning out.
“Another great centrepiece is to give someone a vacherin (£25, paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk), which they can bake and can treat like a fondue,” says Ryle. “I like to dip leftover pigs in blankets in it.”
Matthew Ryle’s new cookbook, French Classics: Easy and Elevated Dishes to Cook at Home, is out now; maisonfrancois.london
‘It has to be pavlova’
Helen Goh
“I didn’t even know there was such a thing as Christmas until we moved to Australia when I was 11,” says Helen Goh, who is from Malaysia. “But when we caught on, we celebrated with all the trimmings. Then I married a Jewish man, for whom Christmas was not a thing; but for the last eight years we have celebrated it in the UK with Iranian friends, so now we have turkey and all our trimmings are Malaysian-Iranian.” Since she’s a pastry chef, Goh is usually charged with pudding. “It has to be pavlova,” she says. Make one by baking a large meringue, about 23cm across, in a low oven for a couple of hours, then top with 400ml double cream that has been whipped together with 100g mascarpone. “For my Iranian friends, I top it with pears poached with saffron, and I’ll spike the cream almost imperceptibly with rose water, and scatter with pistachios and pomegranate.”
Helen Goh’s latest book, Baking and the Meaning of Life, is out now
‘Don’t want to cook? These dates taste like heaven’
Melissa Hemsley
“I take things the host can freeze then use in the Twixmas period, or eat on Boxing Day when they’re cooked out. But if you can’t be bothered to cook, take Zaytoun medjoul dates (£11 for 500g, ethicalsuperstore.com), which taste like heaven.”
‘A paté that’s perfect for hot toast’
Rachel Roddy
“There’s a mushroom paté that I like to make a few days ahead of time and then you can find a corner in whichever kitchen you find yourself for Christmas and spread it on hot toast.” To make it: melt 25g butter in a large pan and fry two large chopped onions and four chopped garlic cloves until soft. Add 1.4kg finely chopped mushrooms, stir, add 125ml white wine, season, and cook until very soft. Drain the liquor into another pan, reserving the mushrooms and onions, then reduce this liquid to a thick syrupy texture. Pass the mushrooms through a food mill or chop finely, then add back to the thick liquor. Add two tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley, a pinch of thyme and a grating of nutmeg. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve on top of crostini, slices of baguette or toast. For a sweet but tangy gift, she takes figs stuffed with almonds and orange. “Rip dried figs carefully in half, tuck a whole peeled almond and a strip of candied orange into the centre, then dip in melted chocolate and leave to set.”
