Rick Stein festive cooking inspiration

Menus over the Christmas period tend to be very meat-centric, so we’ve put together a few ideas to add some of Rick’s seafood classics to your December celebrations. A couple of simple starters, two comforting main courses and a dessert too that we know will go down well with your guests this year.

Gravadlax – “Making your own gravlax is absolutely worthwhile. You never get quite the same intense dill flavour if you buy it. I particularly like the flavour of the white peppercorns in this cure.” Rick

Steamed scallops with soy and ginger – “This is a favourite dish of mine from a good Chinese restaurant. I regard Chinese seafood cookery as among the best in the world.”

Newlyn fish pie – “A seafood velouté with a crisp breadcrumb topping flavoured with a hint of truffle oil. I fry the fish first so that it doesn’t thin the creamy sauce in the pie as it cooks.” Rick

Jack Stein’s braised hake with beetroot and winter salad – “I was asked to create a dish for Rick’s Christmas TV special, he wanted a winter salad using hake. I used a Christmas wreath as inspiration with dark green leaves and bright red beetroot, sourced from around the Camel Estuary and from Padstow Kitchen Garden. Hake is a great fish to use as it is very sustainable, the dish is a perfect light starter to accompany a hearty winter meal.” Jack

Jack Stein’s peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake – This simple cheesecake recipe is the perfect make-ahead dessert for any celebration at home. Who doesn’t love a chocolate pud…