It’s been nearly 10 years since I’ve cooked on Christmas Day, so it felt like my turn. I was keen to do something a little different, hence the venison, cooked with celeriac, juniper and bay. The joint was sourced from Campbells Butchers in Edinburgh, who came good eventually. Why eventually? Because despite promising they wouldn’t deliver meat out of date before December 25, the first delivery was best before 23/12/08. Mama persuaded them to send another one, and because we ended up getting 2-for-1, cooked a venision stew and a couple of delicious game pates.

Anyway, here we all are about to get down to work…

Pear, stilton and pomegranate salad
4 plump pears
2 big pomegranates
Stilton
Walnuts
White wine vinegar
Groundnut oil
Walnut or hazelnut oil
Double cream

Roast Haunch of Venison with celeriac, juniper and bay
Venison haunch
200g goose fat
2 celeriac
40 large shallots (or baby onions)
850g slab bacon (or lardons)
Big handful of thyme
20 bay leaves
15g juniper berries

Roast potatoes in goose fat
2kg Maris Piper potatoes
200g goose fat

Mashed sweet potato with black pudding
4 large sweet potatoes
Black pudding

Brussels sprouts with pancetta and chestnuts

Caramelised red onion with red wine and balsamic vinegars

Christmas trifle with clementines and ginger
200g caster sugar
8 clementines
2 chunks of ginger (+ bit of stem)
1 star anise
1 stick cinnamon
150g sponge cake
40ml Cointreau (optional)
600ml custard
500ml double cream

Frozen grapes, chocolate and grappa
Bottle of grappa
2 bunches of muscat grapes
2 bars of Green & Black chocolate!