Why not consider having fish this Christmas time? You won’t regret it

A few years ago I spent Christmas in Nice and had grilled seabass on the beach for lunch. It was served simply with a salad and some potatoes. The sun was shining, it was an unprecedented 25oc and it was all washed down with a local Provence rose. On another occasion I spent Christmas in Italy and traditionally they have dinner in a restaurant on Christmas Eve called the Feast of the Seven Fishes. It is as it says – a range of seven fish based dishes from clams with spaghetti, to squid, salt fish and anything else seasonally available. Rather than rushing around stuffing turkeys and peeling spuds on Christmas Eve the Italians take a more relaxed approach.

A few years ago I made the decision not to eat farmed fish anymore. Before that smoked salmon would have played a big part in my Christmas eating but I now replace it with smoked mackerel. There are a couple of very varieties now that are available in your fishmonger or deli. All the recipes this week are fish based and the first is for potted mackerel with some elderflower and gin pickled cucumber. Its an ideal starter that can be made ahead, just whizz the mackerel with horseradish, sour cream, lemon pepper and butter. Press into small ramekins and chill. The cucumber is pickled with elderflower cordial and a splash of gin ( the aromatics work well with the oily fish but can be left out). You could serve this with some wheaten bread or go old school with melba toast – it’s not trendy but it’s lovely. Smoked mackerel is available all year round and isn’t weather dependent making it ideal.

There are only a few fishmongers left here and they do deserve our support. One of the things that they have is frozen local crab meat. It’s easy to prepare – just go through it with your fingers to remove any rogue shell. Crab and celeriac are beautiful together – the earthiness of the vegetable works so well with the sweetness of the shellfish. Finely shred the celeriac and mix with sticks of Granny Smith apple, vinegar, onion, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, mustard and mayonnaise. You could serve the mix in cocktail glasses or bowls with a wedge of lemon and some dill to garnish.

When I was growing up fish made an appearance on our Christmas Day lunch in the form of prawn cocktail. It was a real treat and I thought it was so sophisticated. We would have had melon as well and probably soup. By the time it came to the turkey I often remember feeling completely stuffed at that stage. In the last recipe I’ve combined melon with prawns in a light starter. Again fishmongers stock fantastic local frozen prawn meat. Defrost it and cook in some simmering water with lemon for a couple of minutes. Alternatively you could use supermarket cooked prawns. The melon is finely sliced and marinated in lime juice and oil. The dressing is like a classic Marie Rose with the addition of horseradish. Two starters for the price of one.

Whatever you’re doing on Christmas Day have a great one and happy cooking!