Boxing Day buffet

A delicious festive spread for family and friends

OK so with Christmas Day all planned, we can concern ourselves with what to eat the rest of the Christmas period. If you're entertaining a crowd then a buffet can be the solution. 

I think it's nice to have a couple of star items, with potatoes, bread and some salad options. Your choices here will obviously depend on how many you're feeding, who they are and their dietary requirements.

My favourite centrepieces are:


* A big ham cooked in apple juice or cider (scroll right down the link for the recipe)
* A side of salmon - this is so easy to cook in foil in the oven - lightly oil a large piece of foil, place your fish on it, add dill, squeeze over lemon juice and a small glass of white wine. Season, close the foil up tightly into a loose parcel and cook for about 20 mins at 180C.
* And for a vegetarian option, my red onion tart or perhaps Ottolenghi’s roast vegetable tart?

If you're feeding lots of children then I'd also consider pizzas and/or a big tray of cocktail sausages (who doesn't love a cocktail sausage?!). You can supplement with leftover turkey and a big butcher's pork pie too, if you like.

I loved baked potatoes with ham and if you can seat everyone then they would be my first choice. Wash and pat dry, prick all over, rub the skins with salt and bake at 200C for about an hour. But they really require a knife and fork, so for a bigger crowd I'd go for potato salad with tarragon and feta. (probably without the green beans this time though)

Breadwise, baguettes (if the shops are open) or those ciabatta loaves that just need 10mins in the oven are handy.

In terms of salad, I wouldn't go too mad. There seems to be some weird law of the universe which says that the amount of salad eaten is inversely proportional to the number of people present. I tend to make a big coleslaw, a dressed green salad and then pop a bowl of cherry tomatoes on the table too. For kids, I'd add some carrot, cucumber and pepper sticks and maybe a pot of hummus.

Add in a cheeseboard, with walnuts, celery, grapes and your favourite cheese biscuits and some pickles and you have the makings of a fine spread.

People often ask what they can contribute so I usually ask them to bring desserts. Not my forte really! There will always be Christmas cake, mince pies and clementines on the table too.