Boxing Clever

Food writers tend to get very fed up with Christmas but compared with most people it's around the time of Wimbledon fortnight! In magazine-land Christmas comes but once a year, and invariably it's during a heatwave in July. As a result of having to come up with yet another ‘new' idea for serving turkey, I tend to reject anything even vaguely unusual when it comes to cooking the Christmas feast for my own family. So I return to the same old favourite recipes again and again, with no Caribbean bbq turkey or stir fried sprouts with black olives getting in the way (I've seen recipes for both!). They work, the family won't stand for any substitutions, and after all, we only cook the whole show once a year so why try to do something different.

So this month it will be a local bronze turkey for the Gwynn household with all the classic trimmings - though I did venture off-piste last year and make Nigella's wonderful brandy butter with ground almonds in for a change. And I stick to the tried and tested for the meals that happen around the big day too. But this time my inspiration comes from Christmas meals cooked by my Swedish aunt, enjoyed whilst growing up and just as much part of our family tradition as the British version.

In those days there was no Ikea or supermarket selling Scandinavian ingredients so Anna made a special trip to Sweden for the herrings, gravadlax, wonderful crispbreads, and of course the aquavit. The three dishes I've shown here are all inspired by her, the ingredients are all easily available, and their versatility makes them perfect for all kinds of holiday occasions. Homemade gravadlax is so much better than the bought version and can be served as a starter or nibbles throughout the break. I serve spiced red cabbage with venison sausages and baked potatoes either on Christmas Eve, with the Christmas lunch itself, and/or served with all the leftovers on Boxing Day. Finally the rice pudding is completely, addictively wonderful and has the same satisfying balance of cool creaminess and juicy fruit of another Christmas favourite, the good old trifle! For Boxing Day, I serve Swedish crispbreads, a green salad and a cucumber and dill salad, and Jansen's Temptation, one of the greatest potato dishes in the world (find a recipe on the internet). Oh, and the Swedish mulled wine, Glogg, is also worth trying too! Aunt Anna always welcomed us with steaming mugfuls served with a spoonful of almonds and raisins stirred in as we entered her candle-lit house. Magical!

Mary Gwynn is a local food writer. In the new year she will be running a series of wellbeing food and yoga workshops with yoga teacher Viv Alves on the Kent/East Sussex border. For details see www.warrioratwork.com.

Home cured gravadlax with mustard dill sauce

Serves: 8-10 as a starter. Prepare:30 minutes plus 36 hours marinating

Making your own gravadlax is very simple to do and works out much cheaper than shop bought. Choose organic farmed salmon from a trusted fishmonger and ask him to skin and bone it for you

1kg piece of salmon fillet, skinned
50g coarse sea salt (I like Maldon)
50g granulated sugar
4 tbsp gin or other white spirit
a small bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp Dijon mustard

For the mustard dill sauce:
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp caster sugar
90ml sunflower oil
3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Place salmon in a shallow dish that fits it snugly. Mix sea salt, sugar, gin and chopped dill. Spread over salmon turning to cover both sides liberally. Cover surface of fish with crumpled greaseproof paper to keep out as much air as possible and cover dish tightly with cling wrap. Leave to marinate in fridge for 36-48 hours turning salmon every 12 hours. The flesh will firm up as the cure works on it.

2. To make the mustard sauce, whisk together vinegar, egg yolk, mustard and sugar in a bowl. Gradually drip in oil, whisking continuously to give a thick emulsified sauce. Stir in half the dill and season to taste. Cover and chill until ready to use. (The sauce will keep for up to a week in the fridge).

3. To serve, remove salmon from marinade and rinse under cold water to remove the marinade. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Mix lemon juice, mustard and remaining dill and brush over salmon. Slice thinly with a very sharp knife as you would smoked salmon. Serve with the mustard sauce and slices of rye bread.

Cook's tip: You can use the gravadlax for Christmas nibbles. Make tiny cheese scones (or buy mini blinis), split and top with a dollop of creme fraîche, little slices of the gravadlax and a spoonful of the sauce. Garnish with sprigs of dill (see right).

Christmas spiced red cabbage

Serves: 8. Prepare: 15 mins. Cook 1.5-2 hours

This old favourite fits perfectly into my “Christmas cook's really useful” list. It can be served hot or cold, gets better when left to mature for a day or two, goes with all kinds of dishes, and everyone loves it!

1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
750g red cabbage, finely shredded
1 large eating apple, cored and chopped
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
5 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp cranberry or redcurrant jelly
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.Heat oil in a large heavy pan, add onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened. Stir in spices and cook for another minute. Add shredded cabbage and stir to coat in spices then stir in apple, sugar, vinegar and 4 tbsp cold water.

2. Season and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer very gently for 1½-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until really tender and the liquid has evaporated. Stir in jelly and serve hot or cold.

Cook's tip:The classic sweet and sour flavours go wonderfully with all rich meats so serve with sausages and roast pork, creamy potato dishes, and cold with pâtés and sliced hams.
Aga cooking: Cook step one on the boiling plate then bring to the boil, cover and place on the floor at the back of the simmering oven for 1.5-2 hours.

Christmas rice pudding with mulled wine compote

Serves: 6. Prepare: 15 mins. Cook: 30 minutes

This luxurious rice dish comes from Sweden and is served at the Christmas meal eaten on Christmas Eve. It's a world away from our nursery rice pudding and is even better made in advance as the flavours will develop and mature

600ml full cream milk
1 vanilla pod
100g short grained pudding rice
150ml carton double cream, lightly whipped
50g pine nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
25g caster sugar
2 tbsp cherry brandy (optional)
For the mulled wine fruit compote:
150ml fruity red wine such as merlot
50g caster sugar
4 cardamom pods, split open
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
freshly ground nutmeg and black pepper
grated rind and juice of 1 orange
450g frozen red/black fruit mix (I used Waitrose Black Forest Fruits)

1. Put the milk in a pan and add the vanilla pod. Bring to the boil and stir in the rice. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, then cover and simmer for a further 25 minutes until the mixture is thick and the rice is tender. Remove the vanilla pod, transfer to a bowl and leave to cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin forming.

2. Fold in the whipped cream followed by the pine nuts, sugar, and cherry brandy if using then fold in the whipped cream. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

3. To make the fruit compote, put the wine in a pan with the sugar, spices, orange rind and juice. Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar dissolves then bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes until syrupy. Add the fruit, bring to the boil and simmer again for 5 minutes then spoon into a bowl and leave to cool. Chill. Serve the rice pudding in glass dishes with a spoonful of compote on top.

Cook's tip: For a really authentic feel serve with Swedish Christmas spice biscuits. Ikea and Waitrose do a good selection or you can make your own.