Great British Food - Christmas 2025

StickyRoast Sprouts withDates&Pistachios I cannot overemphasise howutterly sublime sprouts cooked this way taste: the leaves charred and crisp, then tumbled in a sticky sweet-and-sour sauce of mashed dates and balsamic vinegar… almost irresistiblymoreish. The addition of a handful of coarsely chopped pistachios is by nomeans essential, although I do have a soft spot for themanymuted shades of green that the nuts and leaves create together, and I find the buttery crunch of the nuts adds another layer of texture to the dish. This is one of those recipes where everything really comes together at the last minute. While you could, in theory, roast the sprouts in advance and simply reheat them in their sauce as needed, I find that in doing so you lose some of the charred crispness of the leaves, which is what makes this dish so utterly delectable. Serves: 8 Prepare: 10minutes Cook: 20minutes 800g Brussels sprouts, trimmed 40g salted butter 2-3 tbsps balsamic vinegar 100g dates, pitted and chopped 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil 90g pistachios, coarsely chopped (optional) Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper 1. Cut the sprouts in half and toss on to a baking tray, spreading them out in a single layer. 2. In a large pan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Once melted, increase the heat and add the balsamic vinegar and chopped dates, along with a generous pinch of salt and a very generous grinding of black pepper. Let bubble away for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce is thickened into something that looks like bubbling molasses. Remove from the heat. 3. Heat the oven to 220˚C/200˚C fan /Gas 7. Line a large baking tray with foil. 4. Drizzle the oil over the sprouts, season very generously with salt and roast for 15–20 minutes, until crisp and tender. Meanwhile, reheat the date sauce. 5. Add the roasted Brussels sprouts to the pan of date sauce and stir to coat, then sprinkle with pistachios, if you like, before serving. ChestnutMartini Thesemartinis come out themost exquisite shade of pale, ambrosial gold, like very light honey: the syrup adds a shot of sugary sweetness to the fiery vodka, but with an unmistakable hint of the distinct flouriness of chestnut. Chestnut syrup is easy enough to buy online and I would happily invest in a bottle for the pleasure of thesemartinis alone, but once you have a ready supply of the syrup on tap, you should try adding a shot to coffee or hot chocolate: both are delectable (and innately festive- feeling) combinations. If you’re mixing your chestnut martinis for a small group, youmight want to shake the vodka and syrup together with ice in a cocktail shaker, mostly for effect; but I’ll admit that if I’mmaking these for a crowd, I simply combine the two together in a jug and stir vigorously. If catering for larger numbers still, you can mix themartinis in extravagant quantities, then store in a bottle in the freezer until ready to serve. My only insistence is that, if themartinis are not already freezer-cold, you serve them over ice, because this really is a cocktail best enjoyed chilled. Serves: 4 Prepare: 5minutes 200ml chilled vodka 120ml chestnut syrup Ice (optional) Marrons glacés, to serve (optional) 1. Combine the vodka and syrup together and stir. Store in a bottle in the freezer until ready to serve. 2. To serve, pour over ice, if required, and top the glass with a single marron glacé on a cocktail stick, if you like. Recipes extracted from The Christmas Companion by Skye McAlpine, published by Bloomsbury Publishing. Photography by Skye McAlpine. “Thesemartinis come out themost exquisite shade of pale, ambrosial gold, like very light honey” RECI PES | SKYE MCALP INE 59 greatbr i t i shfoodawards.com