I relish the run-up to Christmas. The days before it gets too hectic. When I still have the time to make my last-minute to-do lists, to rethink my plans (“out” bûche de Noël, and “in” chocolate St Emilion), to change the wines and reconsider the idea of making a front-door wreath out of fir cones and cinnamon sticks. Best of all is the appearance of low-key dinners that have a faintly festive spirit to them, a nod to the season.
Smoked salmon and gravlax, despite their year-round presence, always feel festive. Place a side of smoked salmon on a wooden board and you have a celebration. The trimmings, those untidy slices and scrappy bits and pieces, are endlessly useful in a savoury pudding. I make them the star of supper by adding them to a mixture of white sauce and beaten egg whites that puffs up, soufflé-style. Serve it with a remoulade of celeriac and parsley and you have dinner.
The same goes for bits of ham that haven’t made it to the plate. I like to shred them and stir into a mixture of cream cheese, chopped gherkins and dill – a thick spread for hot crumpets or English muffins. Spoon over a dollop of cranberry sauce and you have a Christmas snack.
Some things are too good to be reserved for Christmas Day alone and I like to start introducing them from the beginning of December. Marzipan and mincemeat begin to make their appearance the moment the Christmas tree is up – I break off lumps of almond paste and add them to crumble toppings or cookies. Any chocolate-chip cookie is better with a few pieces of marzipan tucked into it. The same with mincemeat, whose brandy-spiked notes fill the kitchen throughout the whole month, used as a hot sauce for ice-cream, as an addition to cakes and as a layer in the base of a classic baked cheesecake.
A slow ushering in of the season continues with crumbs of stilton, which I add to winter salads and place on top of tiny blini. It also replaces the usual cheddar and parmesan in a cheese sauce for broccoli, or gets crumbled into the topping of Welsh rarebit – a snack I love when I come in from the garden on a cold afternoon.
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Potato pancakes, the crisp grated cakes known as rosti, make a fine base for all things festive, be it blue cheese, smoked salmon or gravlax. I swap the potato for whatever root vegetables I have around, often parsnips and beetroot or hard, winter carrots. They need a little egg and flour to hold them together, and once fried, make a decent lunch or supper with spoonfuls of apple or cranberry sauce. Top them with crisp bacon or slices of sausage, if you fancy.
The slow introduction of Christmas ingredients into my daily cooking starts now. (I ate my first mince pie in early November!) Christmas food is simply too good for Christmas alone. For me, the earlier this glorious season starts, and longer it continues, the better.
Smoked salmon pudding
Serves 3. Ready in 45 minutes.
This creamy pudding is as light as a soufflé, but substantial enough to be a main dish. I like to catch it when the inside is still a little creamy, so I watch its progress carefully from 20 minutes onwards.
butter 50g, plus a little extra
parmesan 25g, finely grated, plus 3 tbsp extra
onion 1, small
smoked salmon 100g
milk 300ml
bay leaves 4
black peppercorns 6
plain flour 55g
eggs 4, large
tarragon and dill 2 tbsp, chopped
You will also need a soufflé or baking dish measuring 18-20cm in diameter.
Lightly butter the inside of a deep soufflé or baking dish. Scatter in 2 tbsp of finely grated parmesan, then turn the dish, shaking it as you go, until the parmesan coats the butter.
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Peel and halve the onion. Finely chop the smoked salmon.
Bring the milk to the boil in a small pan together with the onion, bay leaves and peppercorns. Turn off the heat and let it sit for a few minutes, the aromatics infusing the milk.
Melt the butter in a small, heavy-based saucepan, stir in the flour and cook over the heat for a couple of minutes, stirring almost continuously. Try not to let it colour. Remove the bay leaves and onion from the milk then, using a wooden spoon, stir the milk into the butter and flour to make a thick white sauce. If any lumps appear, and well they might, beat them out with a whisk. Let it bubble for a minute or two, stirring continuously.
Separate the eggs, yolks in a small bowl, whites in a large one. Lightly beat the yolks with a fork. Remove the sauce from the heat, let it cool for a few minutes and then stir in the beaten egg yolks. Add 25g of finely grated parmesan, the chopped smoked salmon and the chopped herbs.
In a big bowl and using a large balloon whisk, beat the egg whites until stiff and frothy. Fold them into the sauce, then spoon into the buttered dish. Smooth the top lightly, scatter with 1 tbsp of finely grated parmesan, then place on the baking sheet and cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
The crust should be pale to mid-brown, the centre soft and oozing. To check if it is done, push the dish with your oven glove: the contents should tremble, not wobble violently. Serve immediately.