Fortnum & Mason: Christmas & Other Winter Feasts. Tom Bowles Parker

citrus peel, raisins and almonds, then sprinkled with a flurry of icing sugar. I rather like it toasted, and slathered with salty butter.

      TURKISH DELIGHT

      One glimpse of these lovely, heaven-scented lumps of pink, green and yellow delight, dusted liberally in icing sugar, and you see exactly why Edmund, in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was so enamoured of the White Witch. The Dark Side has never seemed more delectable. Fortnum’s Turkish delight has been handmade by the same Istanbul family for over twenty years, meaning it’s a true taste of that great and glorious city. And there’s something about those smart wooden boxes that make this simple sweet seem all the more exotic.

      VACHERIN

      One of the great seasonal cow’s milk cheeses, Vacherin is made in both France and Switzerland, mainly in villages of the Jura region. Packaged in a spruce box, it should be left at room temperature until it becomes almost liquid. It has a rich, deep flavour and is also wonderful hot, simply heated in the oven with a few slivers of garlic, a couple of sprigs of thyme, and a splash of white wine. Serve with bread, potatoes and cornichons for the easiest fondue you’ll ever find.

      WAXED CHEDDARS AND POTTED STILTONS

      This is the sort of Christmas present that makes me very happy indeed. Proper Cheddar (as different from that crass mass-produced rubbish as truffle oil is from fresh white truffle), encased in a wax shell. The potted Stiltons look as good as they taste, filled with cheese made by the last family-owned producer in the country (and made with milk that by law must only come from Derbyshire, Nottingham or Leicestershire), this is a cheese that is rich, luscious and packed with blue-veined depth.

      WHITE TRUFFLE

      For me, the Alba truffle is the greatest of them all, and certainly the most expensive. And it’s not so much about the taste (the black truffle has more actual flavour), but rather that heady, sexy, slightly filthy scent that caresses the nostrils, and gets the taste buds priapic with anticipatory lust. Grate it over scrambled eggs, risotto, fresh pasta, or even, as they do in 45 Jermyn St., scatter it over a toasted cheese sandwich. Truffles will keep for about four days in a cool place, or longer, if you wrap them in kitchen paper and store them in a sealed glass jar in the fridge. Or, better still, store them with eggs, or risotto rice, where that divine scent will be absorbed. A walnut-sized truffle will cover about four portions of pasta. Fewer for the truly ardent truffle addicts. Like me.

      WINES

      Where do I start? The soft, silky beauty of a classic Margaux, or the light, strawberry-scented charms of a proper Provençal rosé. The complex, spiced depths of a serious Burgundy, compared to the rich, honeyed elegance of its white counterpart. There are Rieslings with the most luscious of finishes, flinty Chablis, vibrant Spanish Albariños, thrilling, berry-packed Australian reds, and fresh, slightly fizzy Vinhos Verdes. There’s a wine for every taste, a blend for every palate, some of them made for drinking alone, others that come alive when matched with food. Call the concierge or wine department for your own selection. You’ll all have your favourites, but sometimes, be bold, and try something new. Christmas Day is the one time of the year where it’s perfectly acceptable to have a glass of wine (or Champagne) for breakfast. Eat, drink and be merry. There’s always January for regrets.

      YULE LOG

      There’s a recipe for the rather lovely Black Forest Log in the book. But whether you make your own, or simply buy one in, this divine log is as much symbolic as it is delectable. Back before the Victorians changed Christmas from wild bacchanalia to respectable family feast, a huge log, the largest that could fit in the fireplace, was lit on the first day of Christmas and expected to last twelve days. That tradition is long gone, but the edible Yule log remains.

ROAST PARTRIDGE, SALSIFY AND SAVOY CABBAGE WITH PORT AND FIG SAUCE

      Partridge has the most delicate, sweet flavour, a game bird to embrace, rather than fear. Throw in a rich, bacon-studded port reduction sauce, and you have a main course of true magnificence.

      & lovely with a glass of fine claret

      SERVES 4

      · 4 partridges

      · 80g butter

      · 100g silverskin onions, peeled

      · 4 garlic cloves, crushed

      · a few sprigs of thyme

      · 100g baby button mushrooms

      · 80g smoked bacon lardons

      · 250ml port

      · 500ml beef stock

      · 250ml brown chicken stock

      · 2 fresh figs, cut into quarters

      FOR THE SALSIFY AND SAVOY CABBAGE

      · 4 salsify sticks

      · a squeeze of lemon juice

      · 1 head of Savoy cabbage

      Remove the legs and breasts from the partridges (save the carcasses to make stock or soup, if you like). Heat 50g of the butter in a heavy-based saucepan. Season the legs, add them to the pan and sear until golden brown all over. Add the onions, garlic, thyme leaves, mushrooms and bacon lardons and cook until lightly coloured. Pour in the port and simmer until reduced by two-thirds. Now add the beef and chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently for around 45 minutes, until the legs are tender. Remove the legs from the pan and set aside.

      Next prepare the salsify and Savoy cabbage. Peel the salsify until you have removed all the brown. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add a good squeeze of lemon juice, then add the salsify and simmer for about 15 minutes, until tender. Drain well and cut into 3cm lengths. Blanch the Savoy cabbage in a separate pan of boiling salted water for 3–4 minutes, then drain, refresh in cold water and set aside.

      Season the partridge breasts with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining butter in a large frying pan, add the partridge breasts, skin side down, and cook over a medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, until golden brown underneath. Turn and cook the other side for about 1 minute. Remove from the pan and leave to rest while you finish the dish.

      Add the salsify to the frying pan and cook until golden brown all over. Add the Savoy cabbage and warm through gently. Season with salt and pepper.

      Reheat the sauce, returning the partridge legs to it and adding the fig quarters. Check the seasoning.

      To serve, put the cabbage and salsify in the centre of 4 plates. Arrange the partridge breasts and legs on top and generously spoon the fig sauce over.

POT-ROAST PHEASANT WITH PEARL BARLEY, BRAISED RED CABBAGE AND SWEDE SAUCE

      Pheasant is a bird that can tend towards the dry, thanks to a lack of natural fat. But pot-roasting is the ideal solution, as all that succulence is kept sealed inside the pot. Spiced red cabbage adds its vinegary kick, while the whole thing is soothed and mollified by a creamy swede sauce. This dish is the very essence of old-fashioned winter feasting.

      & try with a glass of Fortnum’s Argentinian Malbec

      SERVES 2

      · 1 pheasant

      · 3 tablespoons duck fat

      · 1 onion, diced

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