I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who genuinely loves Christmas pudding. Growing up, it always felt more like a ritual than a treat. In my house, my grandad made it entertaining, his one festive responsibility was hiding coins in the pudding, ranging from 2p to £2. Every bite was a gamble, as you’d crunch down on a coin when you least expected it. A memorable tradition, but the pudding itself? Perhaps not worth the six-week wait it takes to prepare. The croquembouche however, a showstopping French dessert traditionally served at weddings, featuring delicate choux buns filled with silky vanilla cream. Its towering, tree-like shape makes it the perfect festive centrepiece. It still has the nostalgic crunch of my families Christmas pudding, but I’d take the crunch of caramel over a coin any day. Yes, it takes some time and effort, but trust me, it’s much quicker than six weeks, and is a truly memorable dessert.

Pommes boulangère is a dish so special that it deserves a spot on your Christmas table. This recipe comes from the classic but is closer to a hybrid between a cottage pie and boulangère. This dish is most commonly served with lamb, but Christmas is no time for lamb! I love a roast rib of beef at Christmas – years of dry, almost crumbling turkey breast have scarred me. My first job in London we roasted 3 whole ribs of beef a day, we were taught to remove the rib caps before roasting, and so, of course this is my preferred technique. The cap is a delicious cut, in this recipe it’s marinated in red wine and slowly cooked like you would for a bourguignonne, the braised beef paired up with slowly caramelised onions and sliced potatoes is a version I think is more delicious than the original! That being said, if you aren’t having beef and want to give this a go, drop the rib cap and follow the recipe for a more classic version. There are a few things to get ready but again this can be completely finished the day before and just warmed up on Christmas day.

The oven is never big enough at Christmas, at least in my house anyway. Playing oven Tetris, trying to squeeze everything in is part of every Christmas day. As much as I enjoy the games, a vegetable dish that can be prepared ahead of time and cooked on the stove during the big day is no bad thing. Café de Paris butter is a great compound butter which is normally served with steaks and shellfish, but it’s particularly special on these braised wintery greens.

When it’s the time of year for mushrooms, this sauce is always on the go in my house. I love it with a pan fried chicken breast and of course some mash, it’s a great, simple recipe that is quick to whip up.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without a glazed gammon, would it? And there is no need to complicate things. No intricate scoring needed, no need to place an individual clove in each square before roasting. Who started this clove thing? It’s a bit like when you’re eating a nice curry and you crunch through a whole cardamon seed, definitely not enjoyable. Who wants the cloves? Just give me thick slices of sweet, smoky, salty ham. Mustard is a must, sweetness is needed, marmalade is the go-to in my house, and lots of black pepper to finish things off. Go big on your ham, its great cold on Boxing day, or with a fried egg and some chips, in a left-over turkey pie, in a baguette with lots of butter and some cornichon, I can go on…

For me, there are only 2 options for starter on Christmas day - prawn cocktail or some smoked salmon. Oeuf mayonnaise, once on the brink of extinction is now enjoying a well-deserved comeback. This is a classic French dish featuring hard-boiled eggs draped in mayonnaise, it’s one of those unexpected culinary pleasures. It’s particularly delicious when paired up with some salty smoked fish, as its Christmas of course smoked salmon is getting involved. Served with some fresh peppery watercress it’s a great, light, festive starter to kick off proceedings, some crusty bread in the middle of the table wouldn’t go a miss with this dish too.

I’ve done my research on potatoes this year, and there was a clear winner. Glass thin, crispy exterior with a soft buttery textured centre – The red rooster, blew the Maris pipers, King Edwards and fancy restaurant spuds out of the water. These are my ultimate Christmas roasties, cook them in water the day before and leave in the fridge overnight to dry and help with stove space on Christmas day. A jar of duck fat for roasties always signified Christmas in my house, but feel free to substitute it for any fat or oil you prefer, the variety of potato is the real key to success, don’t worry the fats will just change the flavour.

Not quite the original but just as delicious, I love this version with spicy braised greens inside, it’s something different and feels almost healthy…

Takes the edge of the days getting shorter when you can start to cook dishes like this. Hands down the most famous stew in French cookery, if you can’t get hold of short rib, 1kg of beef chuck will do the trick too.

Shepherd’s pie is a real winter warmer; this version is a little more special than the one made with minced lamb that I am used to. Prep can happen the day before so spread the extra stages over a few days!

Close to a dauphinoise, with the addition of cheese, squash and sage. The combination is so warming and perfect for this time of year. A great side to get ready ahead of time, great with any meat or fish or as a meal in its own right with a green salad.

On a cold Sunday, my go-to for a nourishing, heartwarming meal is lamb navarin. This classic dish becomes more special when made with lamb shanks. Paired with buttery mashed potatoes, it’s a comforting combination that's hard to beat.

This could be the best dessert in the whole of France. Apple tarte tatin is famous worldwide for good reason. Caramelised apples with a crisp puff pastry base, cooked upside down in the oven and flipped once cooked.

My go to dessert – it’s so quick and easy to put together. In a matter of minutes you can have your batter and add any seasonal fruit you want. Cherries, berries or soaked prunes all work amazingly well.

Not everyone has the luxury of hours and hours to pull together a traditional cassoulet. This is a bit of a cheat’s cassoulet but makes for a more achievable meal which is completely delicious too.

This French potato dish consists of thinly sliced potatoes layered with caramelised onions, herbs, and stock. This is a complete meal, baked with a whole lamb shoulder on top.

A little more interesting than the classic Lyonnaise salad which is just frisée lettuce, bacon and a poached egg. My salad was made from a Sunday morning farmers market haul. Autumnal goods roasted and dressed with a bacon fat vinaigrette.

The king of all omelettes. One of the first things I learnt to make as a chef and my all time favourite breakfast. A decadent omelette with smoked poached haddock.

If you want to give this recipe a go it works perfectly with chicken wings too. Try get hold of some frog’s legs online, it’s a good way to give them a go for the first time.

Mixed fish is baked in a creamy béchamel sauce with fennel, leek, peas, and dill, topped with buttery mashed potatoes.