Great British Food - Christmas 2025

pawup, opened the larder door and had a feast. There was nothing else for it but to uncover the other two, put themon the table and share. Nobody knew a thing! It’s important to season the trout well, otherwise it can taste bland. Always check howhot the chilli is, too, as you may not need it all. Serve themwith warm toasts so the buttermelts and the flavours come out. Serves: 4 Prepare: 20minutes Cook: 25minutes 1 tsp fennel seeds 250g unsalted butter 2 tbsps rapeseed (canola) oil 2 shallots, finely chopped 2 celery stalks, destringed and very finely chopped 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (or less, depending on how much heat you like) 4 skin-on trout fillets, deboned 1 tbsp chopped tarragon, plus extra leaves to garnish 1 tbsp chopped chives Juice of 1 lemon 2 tsps pink peppercorns butter. Season with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. 5. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the chilled dish, smooth the top, then cover with baking parchment and place in the refrigerator until firm. 6. Once firm, pour the clarified butter over the top of the parfait and place a few bay leaves on top. Place back in the refrigerator and leave to set. 7. Serve with spiced pickled pears and crusty bread. PottedTroutwithChilli, Tarragon&Pink Peppercorns I made these one year when I was home for Christmas. I thought they’d be great as part of a light lunch in the days after Christmas or to take on a winter picnic. Once I had themmade, I placed themall on a tray and covered each one individually. I put them in the cold larder, but the next daywhen I went to serve them, two of the dishes were empty. I realised straight awaywhat had happened. One of Mummy and Daddy’s very clever cats could open doors, which I had totally forgotten. It had reached its chill. Pat the livers dry with paper towels and trim off any sinew. Melt 55 g (2 oz) of the remaining butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan and cook the shallots for 10 minutes until very soft. Add the garlic and thyme and continue cooking for another minute, then scrape into a food processor. 3. Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan. Set aside and keep warm. Place a clean frying pan over a high heat and add the remaining oil. Once hot, add the chicken livers in an even layer and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1–2 minutes on both sides until golden brown but still soft and pink. Add the brandy and flambé it with a match or kitchen lighter. Once the flames have subsided, scrape into the food processor. 4. Blend the livers and shallot mixture until smooth. With the machine running, pour in the remaining melted “Serve withwarm toasts so the buttermelts and the flavours come out” SpicedPickledPears Makes: 16 pieces 500g golden caster sugar 590ml cider vinegar 5 slices of fresh ginger, bruised 1 tsp allspice berries 1 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp cardamompods, bruised ½ tsp black peppercorns 3whole cloves ½ tsp crushed dried chillies 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half 1 star anise Pared zest of 1 lemon 2 fresh bay leaves 8 firmpears, peeled, cored and halved, leave the stalk in and place the pears in a bowl of cold water 1. Wash and sterilise a 1.5 litre Kilner jar. 2. Put all of the ingredients except the pears into a large saucepan and stir over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil for 5mins. 3. Add the pears to the liquid and simmer for 10-20mins or until just tender, test with a knife. Remove from the heat. 4. Using a slotted spoon, lift the pears out of the poaching liquid and transfer to your jar. 5. Pour the poaching liquid over the pears, seal the lid and store in a cool, dark place like a pantry or a fridge for up to a month before eating. RECI PES | THE IRI SH KI TCHEN 21 greatbr i t i shfoodawards.com