XO sauce

Once you’ve made your own XO sauce from scratch, you might never buy another condiment in a jar. Louis Tikaram’s version is the real deal: umami-rich, salty, spicy, complex, a gorgeous colour, and incredibly more-ish.

Prep 30 mins

Cook 1 hr

Makes about 1 cup

Yellow curry of mud crab

We could cook a South East Asian-style seafood curry a thousand times and never tire of its complex flavours. With hot, sour, sweet and salty notes in perfect balance, this luxurious mud crab version is a winner.

Prep 30 mins

Cook 20 mins

Serves 2 to 4

Cured ocean trout

The vibrant colour and prep-ahead features of home-cured ocean trout make for easy festive entertaining. Garnish it with something bright and beautiful to set the scene for Christmas lunch – redcurrants perhaps, or a jumble of edible flowers. This recipe is from Eatable's food and drinks director, Lisa Featherby.

Prep 10 mins

3 days curing

Serves 10

Swordfish salmoriglio

Four ingredients are all it takes to transform swordfish into a simple main that will virtually transport you to a clifftop restaurant on the Italian coast.

Prep 5 minutes

Cook 5 minutes 

Serves 4

Pasta cooked in saffron stock with prawns and pipis

This saffron-hued seafood pasta from Nicola Dusi is easy enough for week nights but glamorous enough for guests. You can make the stock ahead of time to keep things really simple.

Prep 20 mins

Cook 45 mins

Serves 4

Kingfish with citrus dressing and daikon

Fresh Japanese flavours and the tang of the sea come together in this exquisitely simple sashimi-style dish.

Prep 20 mins

-

Serves 4 as a shared dish or entrée

Chui Lee Luk’s mee Siam

Popular in Malaysia and Singapore, this shared dish is a festive tradition in chef Chui Lee Luk’s family.

Prep 45 mins

Cook 35 mins

Serves 4

Stir-fried crab with fried garlic, fish sauce and lime

Crab is a messy business – and that’s half the fun here. You’ll want finger bowls and napkins at hand.

Prep 20 mins

Cook 10 mins

Serves 4