Nigel Slater

There are three things I remember about my gran’s house: the smell of coal dust from the open fires; the freezing cold outside loo; and the slow and peaceful bubble of a ham cooking on the black-leaded kitchen range....

The recipeMake a dressing by using 50ml of olive oil, a small handful of parsley leaves and 10g of grated fresh horseradish.Beat in 2 tbsp of water and then set the dressing aside.Cut 4 horizontal slices (2cm thick) from...

We sit on high stools by the hob, lowering batter-dipped vegetables into bubbling oil, eating them as they emerge, hot and crackling from the pan. There are tangles of grated celeriac threaded with pumpkin and parsley, a pesto sauce...

The recipeThis is a quick lunch or dinner using leftover cooked salmon. Peel and finely slice 1 large onion. Warm 3 tbsp of olive oil in a shallow pan then add the onion and fry until soft and pale....

This is the fridge’s finest hour. A bowl of cranberry sauce full to the brim; shards of cold roast goose, turkey perhaps; some cold roast potatoes, craggy and golden, and, joy of joys, a saucer of cold pigs-in-blankets. There...

The recipeBring 1 litre of water to the boil in a deep saucepan, drop in 10g of dried mushrooms and cover with a lid. Leave to infuse for 15 minutes.Remove the mushrooms with a draining spoon and reserve. Bring...

There’s a cake in the oven. Not the traditional raisin and nut-laden Christmas cake (which is already wrapped, somewhat untidily in almond paste, like a baby in a blanket) but a second, plainer one, for those unmoved by the...

The recipeRinse 250g of red lentils (masoor dal) in cold water, then put them in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, lightly salt and cook for 15 minutes until soft. Peel and thinly slice 1...

A pie, or perhaps a large golden tart, brought proudly to the table in its dish, always feels like a celebration. I find such recipes invaluable at this time of year, for meals that need something “festive-but-not-turkey”. So it’s...

The recipeOpen a 400g can of cannellini beans, tip the contents into a sieve or colander and rinse under running water. Tip the beans into a pan with a dash of oil and let them fry for 8-10 minutes...