The preparation always started on Christmas Eve, with a foggy drive towards the Point Reyes lighthouse in Marin County, California, along the dairy ranch-lined Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to meet George Nunes. When George wasn’t milking cows at his family dairy, he was setting crab traps and fishing for Pacific salmon. George pulled his crab cages out of the water each morning before bringing them to his ranch. You could ask for them live or he could boil them for you right there.

There is much that can be prepped on Christmas Eve. I love this pocket of time when the family are together and the cooking has started. People tend to pop in, delivering homemade cookies and breads or jars of preserves.

I can only remember one or two Christmases that my family did not host. Although we always designed the menu, we distributed the recipes to our guests to lighten the workload. Everyone likes contributing and if you don’t have the luxury of doing it all by yourself (or if you don’t consider that a luxury), then creating a menu – or using mine – and giving each guest a recipe is a wonderful way to entertain.

CALIFORNIA PICKLED SARDINES

This recipe comes from Tom Batey, a family friend who has been fishing in the Pacific for nearly 50 years. We recently made it together with herring, but as those are difficult to find fresh on these shores, I have substituted sardines. They make lovely gifts with their green and red peppers and pretty lemon slices. You will want to make them at least two weeks in advance and if you aren’t planning to give some away, you could cut this recipe in half. Ask your fishmonger to clean the sardines and remove the head, tail and bones but keep the two fillets intact.

MAKES 12 JARS

sardines 2 kg (about 36)

salt 1.8kg

jalepeños or other hot green chillis 3

romanos or other sweet red peppers 3

red onion 1

onions 2

dried red chillis 24

small lemons 4 (about 24 slices)

pickling spice 12 tsp (60g)

For the pickling liquid:

white vinegar 1.25l

water 650ml

white wine or more water 100ml

caster sugar 75g

DIRECTIONS

Twenty-four to 72 hours before you are ready to do the pickling salt the sardines in your fridge, which will give them a more appealing texture. I use a gratin dish and sprinkle it with some salt then spread the fish out in two layers with more salt in between and on top to cover.

Sterilise 12 jars then set aside. There are many ways to sterilise jars and lids. If you have a method you trust, then use it here. Mine is to heat the clean jars and lids (separately) for 20 minutes in a 140C/gas mark 1½ oven. Allow them to cool slightly before using. The fish are salted and pickled so will keep for up to one month in the fridge but should be used within one week of opening.

Soak the sardines in a bowl of fresh water for an hour or so, then pat dry. Combine all the ingredients for the pickling liquid in a bowl and set aside so that the sugar dissolves. Drain and pat dry the soaked sardines and slice them into 4 pieces, crossways. Slice the jalapeño and romano peppers into 2-3 mm slices, removing the seeds and veins as you go. Slice the onions in ½ cm rings, cutting the larger rings in half. Alternating in the jars, layer the ingredients, packing them down periodically. Using a knife, gently slide the tip down the inside of the jar and drop in a chilli on one side and a lemon slice on the other. Repeat this again, alternating sides. Pour over the pickling liquid, close tightly. Place the jars in the back of the fridge until Christmas.

CRAB CAKES WITH OLD BAY MAYONNAISE

This recipe comes from my brother Louis. Old Bay is an east coast spice mix made for seafood: the basic ingredients are celery salt, paprika and pepper. It is tricky to get the classic spice mix in the UK, so I have written a recipe for a homemade one. Serve these hot while your guests are drinking cocktails.

MAKES ABOUT 24 SMALL CAKES

fresh white crab meat 750g

brown crab meat 200g

olive oil 1 tbsp

yellow onions 2 small, diced

dried chilli 1 whole

garlic cloves 3, peeled and crushed

medium eggs 4

Dijon mustard 2 tbsp

dried breadcrumbs preferably panko 250g

flat leaf parsley 80g, roughly chopped

lemons zest of 2

salt and pepper

vegetable oil for frying

For the mayonnaise:

mayonnaise 200g (shop-bought or make your own)

black pepper ½ tsp

white pepper ¼ tsp

smoky paprika ½ tsp

cayenne pepper ¼ tsp

celery seeds 2 tsp

fresh lemon juice 2 tsp

DIRECTIONS

First make the mayonnaise. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Transfer to a couple of small serving bowls.

In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil and then add the diced onions, chilli and garlic. Add a pinch of salt. Cook over a medium heat until softened but not brown. Remove the chilli and set aside to cool.

Mix together the white and brown crab meat in a large bowl. Add the eggs, mustard, breadcrumbs and cooled onion mixture. You are looking for a consistency that can hold the shape of a patty and is slightly tacky, but is not so wet that it is soggy. Add the parsley and lemon zest and a good grind of black pepper. Add salt to taste. If it feels too wet, add some more breadcrumbs. Refrigerate the mixture for one hour at least. This much can be done the day before.

Remove the mixture from the fridge and shape into small cakes. You should get about 24. Have ready a plate lined with kitchen towel.

In a shallow frying pan, pour enough oil to come up the side of the pan about a ½ cm. Heat to medium and fry cakes until golden brown, turning until golden all over. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon and place on the towel for a few moments to absorb some of the oil. Serve immediately with the mayo for dipping.

SALT AND PEPPER POTATOES WITH CELERIAC

These are made with lots of butter but no cream. The liquid that makes them creamy is the cooking water and the result is a lighter, fluffier potato. I recommend using a potato ricer – you never risk overmixing.

SERVES 12

maris piper potatoes 2.5kg peeled and halved

celeriac 2 peeled and quartered (about 1.5kg)

unsalted butter 125g

salt and black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Prepare the potatoes and put them in a large pot. Cover with water and add 1 tbsp salt. In a smaller pot, cover the celeriac with water. Add 1 tsp of salt. Bring both pots to a boil and then turn down the heat a little. Boil until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Do the same for the celeriac, though they should cook a little faster.

Use a slotted spoon to lift the potatoes out, push through the ricer or mouli, and into a large bowl or casserole, reserving the cooking water. Continue until all the potatoes and celeriac are riced.

Now add the cooking water back to the potatoes ladle by ladle until the mixture loosens up a little, probably about 300 to 600 ml. Add 100g of the butter, cut into small pieces. Taste for salt. You may not need to add any because the water was salted well. Add a generous amount of black pepper. Stir gently and add the remaining butter, without stirring it in. Cover with foil or a lid and keep warm.

WILTED KALE WITH PORCINI AND PANCETTA

If you have vegetarians coming to your holiday dinner, this recipe is also great without pancetta.

SERVES 12 AS A SIDE DISH

dried porcini mushrooms 100g

cavalo nero 3 large bunches

sliced pancetta 100g cut into strips

olive oil

salt

lemon juice of 1 small

DIRECTIONS

Put a large pot of salted water on a high heat and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, place the dried mushrooms in a large bowl and cover with 750ml boiling water. Let them soak for at least 20 minutes. Wash the kale and remove and discard the tough stalks. Slice the leaves into 1cm ribbons and blanche in the boiling water for a few minutes until they are softened. You will have to do this in a few batches. Place the cooked kale into a bowl and set aside.

In a large frying pan over a low heat, cook the pancetta. While the pancetta is cooking, lift the soaked mushrooms out of their liquid (save the liquid) and chop into ½ cm pieces. Remove the cooked meat with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel. Now add the chopped mushrooms to the pan and cook for a few minutes to get them a little golden at the edges.

Squeeze the kale to remove any excess water and then add it to the mushrooms. Add half of the reserved mushroom soaking water and braise over a medium low heat until soft and the flavours have had a chance to meld. (You can use the other half of the mushroom liquid to make a delicious mushroom gravy for vegetarian guests.) Taste for salt and then add the pancetta back in. Place the kale on a serving dish and drizzle with olive oil, squeezing over the lemon juice just before serving.

CORNBREAD

This cornbread has a lot of buttermilk in it to make it moist. It’s possible to substitute yoghurt but many shops now stock buttermilk so it’s worth the effort to track it down. Finding the right cornmeal is important too. The best ground corn I have found comes from Italy, has a complex flavour and is stone ground so that it does not have a uniform consistency. Instant or quick polenta will not work in this recipe.

SERVES 12

cornmeal or polenta flour (not instant) 340g

plain flour 100g

baking powder 1 tbsp

bicarbonate of soda 1½ tsp

salt 1 tsp

caster sugar 3 tbsp

medium eggs 3

buttermilk 840ml

unsalted butter 125g, melted and cooled slightly

DIRECTIONS

Butter a deep 30x20cm roasting dish. Heat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6.

Weigh the polenta flour, plain flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt and sugar into a large bowl and whisk together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and butter. Add the wet to the dry gradually, whisking as you go, being careful not to overmix. Pour the contents into the baking dish and bake until the bread is set but not dried out and a skewer inserted comes out clean (about 45 minutes).

SPICY ROAST PORK WITH CRACKLING AND WHITE WINE GRAVY

You have to start the day before and this will take up to 4½ hours but it is actually easy as the oven does the work. I have left the bone in: it helps to give body to the sauce. Ask your butcher to score the skin for you, for the crackling.

SERVES 12

shoulder of pork 4-4.5kg bone in and skin on

For the rub:

flaky sea salt 2 tbsp

ground pepper ½ tsp

dried marjoram 2 tbsp

ancho chillies 2, ground into flakes

garlic 4 cloves, crushed

coriander seeds 1 tbsp

hot dried chillies 3

For the roast:

onions 3, cut into quarters

large carrots 2

star anise 1

ancho chilli 1

Ceylon cinnamon stick 1 small

black peppercorns 6

fresh or dried marjoram 5 sprigs

white wine 400ml

water 600ml

DIRECTIONS

Place all the rub ingredients together in a mortar or food processor and pound or blitz until you have a nice dry mixture. Rub this all over the bottom and sides of the meat avoiding the skin on top. Place in a dish, cover with cling film and leave to marinate overnight.

The roast will take 4 to 5 hours to cook, so plan accordingly.

Heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. In a large, deep roasting pan, lay out all of the remaining ingredients and then place the pork on top, skin side up. Place in your oven and bake slowly for about 4 hours. Then turn the heat up to 250C/gas mark 9 and roast for another 40 minutes to an hour watching to make sure the crackling does not burn. You may need to top up the water in the bottom of the roasting tray.

When the meat is tender and starting to come away from the bone, remove it from the oven. Carefully lift the pork out of the roasting pan and on to a serving platter. Cover it loosely with foil and let it rest. Meanwhile, you can finish the gravy. Carefully lift out and discard any large spices like the cinnamon stick. Skim off any obvious fat and, using a stick blender or mouli, purée the gravy. Thin the gravy with a little water if needed, then pour into a jug for serving. Keep the gravy in a warm place.

SUGAR PIES WITH POMEGRANATE-POACHED QUINCE

Sugar and cream inside a perfect buttery sweet pastry.

MAKES 12 INDIVIDUAL PIES

For the pastry:

soft butter 140g

icing sugar 90g

ground almonds 30g

salt ¼ tsp

plain flour 250g

For the filling:

light brown sugar 90g

caster sugar 30g

plain flour 30g

vanilla bean powder 2 tsp (or 1 scraped vanilla pod)

vanilla extract 2½ tsp

double cream 300ml

lemon juice 2 tsp

brandy 3 tsp

unsalted butter 50g, cut into 1 cm dice

nutmeg 1

For the quince:

quince 2 large, peeled and quartered

caster sugar 1kg

pomegranate juice 2 litres, bought or squeezed fresh like an orange

tonka bean 1, or vanilla if you don’t have it

lemon juice and peel of 1

pomegranate 1 to serve

DIRECTIONS

Start with the quince. Put everything but two pomegranates in a heavy-bottomed pot. The liquid should cover it, but if it does not, then top it up with water. Bring to the boil then turn down to a gentle simmer. Cook for 45 minutes or until tender but not falling apart.

Remove the quince from the pot and then reduce the liquid by half. This should take about 30 minutes. Strain the sauce and then let it cool completely. Cut out the cores of the quinces and then put the quinces into a bowl or large jar and cover with the reduced liquid. This step can be done a few days in advance.

Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer until creamy but not fluffy. Add the almonds, salt and eggs until combined and then add the flour just until it all comes together.

Place the dough on a piece of cling film and pat together. Place in the fridge and allow to rest for at least an hour.

Butter a 12-cup deep muffin tray. Heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.

Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Roll the pastry out and press it into the tin, allowing the pastry to come up just above the rim of each muffin cup. Place the tin in the freezer or fridge for at least 15 minutes.

Trim the edges of the chilled pastry with a sharp knife. Line each pastry with a square of baking paper and fill them with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans, and bake for a further 5 to 10 minutes until just golden on the edges.

Remember, you will be baking them again once the filling is added so you don’t want to overbake them now. Turn the oven down to 160C/gas mark 3.

In a small bowl, combine the sugars and flour. Divide the mixture between the 12 pastry shells. In another bowl or jug, combine the cream, lemon, brandy and vanilla extract. Fill the pastries with this mixture, dot with butter and grate over the top with nutmeg. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set.

When ready to serve, put the tart on a plate and pour a pool of poaching syrup on top. Slice a few pieces of quince for each plate and drizzle with more syrup. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and serve at once.

SALTY DOGS AND GREYHOUNDS

Squeezing the grapefruit juice yourself makes all the difference to these cocktails. Its refreshing sourness is a great way to get your appetite going.

Ice cubes to fill the glasses

vodka 60ml per glass

fresh squeezed and strained grapefruit juice 150ml per glass (about 1 grapefruit)

fine sea salt (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Fill the glass with ice cubes. Pour over the vodka and then the juice. Serve. To make this greyhound into a salty dog, first rub the rim of the glass with a wedge of grapefruit, dip it on to a plate of fine sea salt, then follow the same steps as before. OFM

Claire Ptak is the owner of Violet Cakes, 47 Wilton Way, London E8 3ED; violetcakes.com