The Drink & The Nibble
There is only one way to go in this category – and that is Nigel Slater’s way. In his impossibly wonderful book The Christmas Chronicles, he writes of Christmas Eve: ‘We start with Champagne flushed with a dash of pomegranate juice, dishes of basil, mint and parsley to pick at (a habit picked up in Lebanon), and crisp pastries filled with green olive paste. We think Sainsbury’s green olive tapenade on toasted rounds of baguette is a worthy alternative.
The Starter: Festive Salad, Olive Magazine
Continuing with Slater’s pomegranate theme, this light but pretty starter from Olive Magazine uses the seeds of the exotic fruit for a jewel-like twinkle on the plate. Radicchio, pomegranate, walnuts and mint combine in a festive medley in a salad that will leave space for the glories yet to come.
The Main Course: Beef Wellington, Jamie Oliver
Fish is an obvious choice – because it is so unlike the traditional poultry of the next day’s fare and because many have historically avoided meat on the eve of a religious festival – but we really like the idea of Beef Wellington on December 24. Luxurious and spoiling, it can also be prepared in advance. For this, we turn to our beloved Jamie Oliver. His Beef Wellington recipe takes the terror out of the task. We’d avoid potatoes with this one and serve the beef with a huge pile of zingy green vegetables instead.
The Pudding: Upside Down Toffee Pear Cake
Christmas Day will offer untold quantities of mince pies, Christmas cake and plum pudding so on Christmas Eve, why not go off piste with a version of Thomasina Miers’s Sticky Toffee Upside Down Pear Cake? Australian website Food.com has an excellent recipe. Serve with clotted cream and your guests will thank you – and head straight to their beds for a deep, satisfied sleep.
Becky Ladenburg
December 2023
