When Bruno Loubet’s mother died – “she was very old,” he clarifies, swiftly – his brothers and sisters went to clear out the family house in south-west France. “They found 500 jars of preserves in the cellar,” the 56-year-old chef exclaims. “Five hundred! Hidden everywhere: in cupboards, in the coal bin. Obviously she didn’t even need 20 jars.”

Loubet, who spent most of his working life in Britain – latterly at his London restaurants Bistrot Bruno Loubet and the Grain Store – has been reflecting a lot on his childhood – a period that inspires three of the recipes on these pages. Mostly, though, he has begun to appreciate how many trends in cooking are not new at all. Pickling, fermenting, foraging, nose-to-tail eating: all were part of life growing up in a place that not long before had been occupied by Nazi Germany.

“My parents were children of the war,” says Loubet. “My mother always used to say: ‘If you have food for your family, you have everything in life.’ Sustainability has been a big thing in the last five years, but it has been my life. You’ll never see me throwing away a leaf of cabbage. My wife goes crazy because I go round the house turning off all of the lights.” He laughs, “I am, by definition, the sustainable man.”

Loubet’s passion for preparing vegetables, he believes, can also be traced to his early years, when meat was for special occasions. It culminated, in 2013, with the opening of Grain Store, a cavernous, 200-seat restaurant in King’s Cross. “That was a huge, huge risk,” he reflects. “For a long time, I’d wondered why vegetables were often considered irrelevant on the plate; a garnish, really. At Grain Store, we decided to put the vegetable first, and the meat last; basically making a statement that the meat wasn’t the most important thing on the plate.”

Grain Store closed in August, as Loubet – who once claimed, believably, that he worked 200 hours a week – retired from full-time cooking. He’s moving to Australia to set up a farm and culinary school. As he created this vegetarian Christmas feast for OFM, he couldn’t help musing on where he’ll be on 25 December. “I’ll have to use a barbecue from the swimming pool, which is very difficult to do. Especially when you have a drink in your hand. It’s a skill, but hopefully I will come to terms with it.”

Mushroom, kimchi and sweet potato pie, miso sour cream

If you can get hold of wild mushrooms, this dish will rise to any occasion. Serve it simply with mixed leaves or even stir-fried brussels sprouts.

Serves 6

sweet potatoes 450g, peeled
wild mushrooms 200g
large chestnut mushrooms 160g (or 360g if you don’t have the wild mushrooms)
red onion 1 large, peeled and finelysliced
garlic 2 cloves, very finely sliced
butter 50g, plus extra for greasing
kimchi cabbage 275g (220g cabbage, 55g kimchi juice)
potato flour 2 tsp
sour cream 2 tbsp
egg 1
breadcrumbs 1 tbsp
puff pastry 400g

For the crepe mix
plain flour 50g
egg 1
milk 60ml
parsley 2 tbsp, chopped
chives 1 tbsp, chopped
tarragon 1 tsp, chopped

For the miso sour cream
dark miso paste 2 tbsp
sour cream 6 large tbsp

For the egg wash
egg yolks 2
milk 2 tbsp

Preheat the oven to 220C/gas mark 7. Cut the sweet potatoes into 5mm slices and place on a baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the mushrooms in chunks and sauté in a frying pan with the red onion, garlic and butter until soft and lightly coloured then remove from the heat.

Cut the kimchi in small pieces and fry with its own juice and the mushrooms. Reduce the juices by half then add the potato flour. Mix well, then take off the heat. Leave to cool.

For the crepes, place the flour in a mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. In small bowl, whisk the egg with the milk. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the middle of the flour, but do not pour it all in. Use a whisk to bring a little of the flour in at a time. Keep whisking to avoid lumps.

When the mixture is still thick give a good whisk to break any lumps then add the remaining egg mixture. Whisk well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk in the herbs.

In a lightly oiled 30cm frying pan, cook 2 large crepes, then set aside to cool on a plate.

Add the egg, sour cream and breadcrumbs to the cooled vegetables and stir well. Place into a mixing bowl. Crush the cooled sweet potato and mix into the other vegetables.

In a little bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and milk for the egg wash.

Roll out the puff pastry to 5mm thick, then cut 2 squares (1 slightly bigger than the other) to fit a deep 22cm cake tin. Grease the tin well. Lay the bigger sheet of puff pastry, pushing it into the bottom edge. Line with a crepe, trimming as necessary. then fill with the vegetable mix. Lay the other crepe over. Brush one side of the smaller remaining sheet of pastry with the egg wash, then place over the crepe, egg wash side down. Trim the corners with scissors to make it round and pinch around the edges to stick it together. Brush the top with the egg wash. With a small knife make a small hole in the centre of the pie for the steam to escape during the cooking.

Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes then lower the heat to 170C/gas mark 3 and cook for another 15 minutes.

Make the miso cream by simply mixing the miso paste into the sour cream. Add black pepper to taste.

To serve, unmould the pie and place on a wooden board and cut at the table. Serve with the bowl of miso cream.

My mother’s revised stuffed cabbage

Stuffed cabbage has long been a classic in my family’s repertoire. In my grandmother’s version the stuffing consisted of Toulouse sausage and caramelised onions poached in a soup of root vegetables, pumpkin and Tarbais beans. My mother’s contained very little sausage and lots of fresh herbs. The stuffed cabbage was then steamed and served with a red wine and tomato sauce. This fresher version might sustain generations of my family.

Serves 6
savoy cabbage 1 (500-600g)
parsnips 160g, peeled
butter 50g
small brown onions 2, chopped finely
garlic 2 cloves, peeled and chopped
eggs 2
milk 80ml
sourdough bread 50g, without the crust
sauerkraut 280g drained weight

For the cornichon ketchup
water 100ml
cornichons 60g
tarragon ½ tsp, chopped
parsley 2 tbsp, chopped
spring onions 2 tbsp, chopped
honey 1 tsp
water 200ml
ground cloves 2 pinches
ground caraway seeds 2 pinches
avocado ½
lemon juice 1 tsp

For the tomato salad
cherry tomatoes 24, sliced
shallots 2 tbsp, chopped
baby capers 2 tbsp
olive oil 8 tbsp
chives 1 tbsp, finely chopped

To make the ketchup, place a metal mixing bowl over iced water to cool.

In a small saucepan, bring the water to the boil then add all the ingredients except the lemon and the avocado and bring to the boil for 10 seconds. Pour it all in the chilled mixing bowl and stir to cool it quickly. When completely cool, pour in a blender, add the avocado and lemon juice and process until smooth, checking the seasoning. Cover with clingfilm pressed to the surface, and place in the fridge.

Cut the base of the cabbage to detach the leaves. When two-thirds of them have been detached, chop the yellow heart finely. Blanch the whole cabbage leaves in boiling salted water for 1 minute, until tender, then plunge in iced water. Keep the hot water to blanch the chopped cabbage heart. Refresh in iced water.

Take the whole cabbage leaves from the iced water and pat dry. Separately, drain the cut cabbage and pat dry. Remove the hard rib from each.

Peel the parsnip, cut in slices, then cook in salted boiling water until very soft. Drain and crush finely.

Cook the butter until foamy in a frying pan then add the chopped onion and garlic. Cook on medium heat until soft and golden brown. Add the blanched cut cabbage, mix and cook for 3-4 minutes. Take off the heat.

Process the egg, milk and bread in a blender until it all has a fine texture.

Place the cooked onion mixture, the sauerkraut, the parsnip and finally the egg mixture in a mixing bowl. Stir well.

Line a 20cm flan tin with a doubled layer of clingfilm, overlapping as needed so all edges are covered, and leaving long enough edges so it can be folded back over all the filling.

Completely cover the inside of the tin with about two-thirds of the cabbage leaves, slightly overlapping each other and on the side. Spoon in half the vegetable mixture and press down. Cover with another layer of cabbage leaves, and then the remaining vegetable filling. Press everything down very well, then fold over the outer leaves with the overlapping clingfilm edges, forming a round shape.

The end result should be completely enclosed in a tight clingfilm layer.

In a hot steamer, place the cabbage in clingfilm upside down so that it does not open during the cooking. Steam for 30 minutes. Take the cabbage off the steam and place on a chopping board and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

To make the tomato salad, combine all the ingredients and season to taste.

To serve the cabbage, open and remove the clingfilm, then cut into 6 slices. Place a slice of cabbage on each plate, then spoonfuls of tomato salad and ketchup. Serve immediately.

Potato blini with salted cucumber, confit egg yolk and toasted seaweed

This dish delivers complex flavours and textures – ideal for celebrations. You can make all the elements 3-4 hours ahead of time.

Serves 6
For the blini
desiree potatoes 400g
butter 30g, plus more for frying
egg yolks 4
nutmeg a grating, to taste
cornflour 25g
egg whites 3
lemon juice a small squeeze

For the toppings
nori seaweed 2 sheets
eggs yolks 6, unbroken
olive oil 3 tbsp
cucumber 1
spring onions 3tbsp, finely sliced
flaky sea salt 2tsp
lemon juice of ½

For the blini, preheat the oven to 230C/gas mark 8. Wash the potatoes, leave the skin on, wrap each in foil, then place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes then turn the oven down to 165C/gas mark 3 and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the flesh is soft and tender when spiked.

When the potatoes are cooked, take out of the foil, halve and scoop out the cooked flesh over a bowl. Crush it using a mouli or masher, until smooth.

Melt 30g butter in a small pan until golden brown, then pour over the mash. Mix well with a spoon, then mix in the nutmeg, cornflour and egg yolks.

(If you’re preparing ahead, leave this next stage until you’re ready to make the blini.) Add the egg whites and a pinch of salt to a mixing bowl, and use an electric whisk to whip until soft peaks form. Add a squeeze of lemon, then whisk continuously till stiff peaks form. Fold a third of the egg white mixture into the potato mix to loosen, then the remainder to keep it aerated.

For the topping, preheat the oven at 65C/gas mark ¼.

Place a large frying pan on high heat then add a seaweed sheet to the dry pan to crisp up. You may have to turn it over after 10 seconds for another 5 seconds. Press down with a spatula to flatten so it’s completely and evenly crisp. Repeat with the other sheet. When done, place in a blender and process to a fine powder. Keep aside.

Peel the cucumber, halve lengthways, then scrape out the seeds and cut the cucumber in angled slices 3mm thick. Place on a plate with the spring onions and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Mix well and place in the fridge to marinate.

In a small ovenproof saucepan, heat the olive oil to 65C. Crack and separate the eggs, placing the yolks in the oil. Place the saucepan with the yolks in the oven at 65C for 50 minutes. After this time, keep the eggs aside in the oil until needed.

Thirty minutes before you want to serve, wash the marinated cucumber in a colander then pat dry and place in a container. Pour in the lemon juice and mix well. Mix well, then cover with clingfilm until needed.

To cook the blini, ideally use small egg pans, or you can use a large frying pan with oiled rings to shape the pancakes. Melt some butter over medium heat, and then pour about a sixth of the batter into the pan. Cook gently and after 2-3 minutes check if the bottom is golden brown. If so, turn it over with a spatula and cook it for another minute until the other side is golden brown. Put aside in a warm place and repeat until you have 6 blini.

To assemble for serving, place a blini on each plate and top with a nest of cucumber slices, then set a yolk in. Sprinkle with the nori powder.

Cauliflower and stilton souffle, homemade piccalilli

Serves 6

For the souffle
ramekins six 8cm dishes
cauliflower florets 450g
full cream milk 300ml
sea salt a pinch
butter 45g
plain flour 45g
stilton or vegetarian blue cheese 150g
dijon mustard 1 tbsp
ground nutmeg 3 pinches
egg yolks 4
egg whites 6
vegetarian cheddar 60g
lemon juice ½ tsp

For the piccalilli (makes about 450g)
olive oil 2tbsp
small carrot 1
sweet red pepper ½, diced
medium fennel bulb ½, diced
celery 1 stick, diced
medium onion ½, finely chopped
tiny cauliflower florets 100g
bay leaf ½
garlic 1 clove, finely chopped
fresh ginger 1 tsp , finely chopped
turmeric ½ tsp
curry powder ½ tsp
white wine 50ml
sugar ½ tsp
water 100ml
white wine vinegar 1½ tbsp
small courgette ½, diced
cornflour ½ tbsp, mixed with 1½ tbsp water
coarse grain mustard ½ tbsp
chopped coriander ½ tbsp

To make the piccalilli, heat the oil in a saucepan, add carrot, pepper, fennel, celery, onion and cauliflower. Stir with a wooden spoon for a few minutes then add the bay leaf, garlic, ginger, turmeric, curry powder and white wine. Season with salt and pepper and add the sugar. Pour in the water and vinegar. Bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add the courgettes and cook for 2 minutes longer. Gradually stir in the cornflour mixture, adding just enough to thicken the liquid to the right consistency. Stir in the mustard and cook for a final 2 minutes. Add the chopped coriander, mix well and spread in a dish to quickly cool down.

For the souffle, place the cauliflower florets in a saucepan with the milk and salt. Bring to the boil then lower the heat to simmer and cover with a lid. Cook until very soft then drain in a colander over a dish to catch and reserve the milk.

In a saucepan, melt the butter until foamy but not coloured then whisk in the flour, lower the heat to medium and keep mixing for 30 seconds. Slowly pour the cooking milk over, keep whisking to avoid lumps. Lightly simmer for 5 minutes then take off the heat. Cover with clingfilm and leave to cool down to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Place the cauliflower, stilton and mustard in a bowl and use a fork to crush them as fine as possible, and then add to the white sauce. Add the nutmeg and taste the seasoning. Finally, add the egg yolks and mix well.

Butter the souffle ramekins and place in the fridge. After 5 minutes, repeat the operation to make sure they are perfectly buttered up to the rim of each dish. Put a teaspoon of flour in each mould and turn around to coat the inside then discard the rest.

Place the egg whites in a clean dry bowl, wiped with a drop of lemon juice to remove any fat. Whisk with an electric whisk until they reach the stiff peak then add ½ tsp lemon juice and whisk for another 5 seconds.

Gently fold one-third of the egg white mixture into the cauliflower mix to loosen it a bit, then fold in the remaining egg whites.

Fill the ramekins carefully with the souffle mixture, making sure there are no drips on the insides of the dishes. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the soufflés but make sure it doesn’t touch the sides – keep it about 3mm from the edge. Take your time as it’s important.

Place the filled ramekins in the oven when you’re ready to go to the table. It will take 15-18 minutes to cook the souffles. Serve the souffles immediately from the oven, putting each ramekin on a small plate with a side of piccalilli.

Tips: Clean the bowl that you are going to use for the egg whites with a drop of lemon juice on a cloth. Make sure the egg whites are at room temperature before whisking. When folding the egg whites into the base, the cauliflower mixture must be at least at room temperature. Do not overwork the mix.

Beetroot ravioli

My daughters love this dish and demand it for any special occasions so it’s definitely a possible for the Loubet Christmas or New Year feast. You will need to start preparing this the day before you want to serve it.

Serves 6
For the filling
beetroot 500g, washed and dried
balsamic vinegar 50ml
ricotta 80g
grana padano, parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese 2 tbsp, freshly grated

For the pasta dough
‘00’ flour 500g, plus extra to dust
eggs 2
egg yolks 6
olive oil 1 tbsp
fine semolina to dust

For the garnish
butter 80g
panko breadcrumbs 2 tbsp
sage leaves 8, finely sliced
wild rocket 2 handfuls of
olive oil 2 tbsp
lemon juice ½ tbsp
grana padano, parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese 2 tbsp, freshly grated

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Wrap the beetroot in foil and bake in the oven for 2 hours. When tender, remove from the oven and leave to cool then open the foil. Peel the beetroot, then cut into small dice.

Transfer to a food processor and pulse in just 3 short bursts. Pour all the flesh out onto a clean tea towel or double layer of muslin. Close it in a bundle and place in a colander set over a bowl. Cover the bundle with a plate and weigh it down with a 2kg weight. Place in the fridge overnight.

The next day, pour the beetroot juices into a small pan, add the balsamic vinegar and place over a low heat to reduce until syrupy. Watch it carefully as it will burn easily. When syrupy, pour into a small container.

Place the beetroot in a mixing bowl with the ricotta, grated hard cheese and a third of the beetroot juice reduction. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well.

To make the pasta dough, place the flour on a work surface and form a well in the centre. Whisk the egg and yolks in a bowl with the oil well, then pour into the middle of the flour.

Slowly, using the tips of your fingers, bring the flour into the centre and mix until the dough comes together.

Lightly flour the work surface and knead the dough with the palms of your hands until it becomes smooth and silky. Shape into a ball, then flatten a little. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge to rest for at least an hour. The dough is then ready to use.

Roll out the pasta dough using a pasta machine. Start with the machine at its thickest setting and pass the dough through the rollers. Repeat several times, decreasing the setting and dusting the pasta with flour between each pass to prevent it from sticking. Keep passing it through until you have a very thin sheet, about 2mm thick. Place the pasta on a floured work surface. If hand rolling, use a rolling pin and a hard even surface.

Transfer the filling to a piping bag and pipe balls of filling (about the size of a small cherry tomato) around 4cm apart over half the pasta sheet, then gently fold the other half back over it.

Take a 3cm cutter and using it upside down (ie. the blunt side) press lightly over each mound to perfect the shape. With a 4.5cm cutter, cut out each ravioli. Lift the excess dough away. Lightly dust a tray with semolina, then using a metal spatula, carefully transfer the ravioli to the tray.

For the garnish, heat 30g butter in a small frying pan; fry the breadcrumbs until golden and crisp. Set aside.

Melt the remaining 50g butter in a small pan with the sage. When the butter starts to foam, watch it carefully and as soon as it turns light brown, remove it from the heat and set aside.

Toss the rocket with the olive oil and lemon juice; season. Place in the middle of each serving plate. Sprinkle the salad with the fried breadcrumbs and some grated cheese.

Bring a deep pan of salted water to the boil. Meanwhile, gently reheat the sage butter. Cook the ravioli for 3 minutes, until they float, then drain carefully. Immediately toss the ravioli in the sage butter.

To serve, arrange the ravioli around the salad, drizzling it with a little of the butter. Finish the dish by drizzling over the remaining beetroot juice reduction. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin and chestnut tart, cranberries, creme fraiche

We always used to grow pumpkin for the winter in my family when I was a child. François, my maternal grandfather, was a bit of an eccentric.One of his idiosyncrasies was to grow pumpkins in one of the bedrooms where he had pulled away parts of the wooden floor. As children we used to find all this exciting. For the rest of the family and village, it was bizarre. I realised later that it was the remaining anguish from his years in the war.

My grandmother used to make a pumpkin and chestnut jam. I still grow pumpkin every year (not in the bedroom) and love to cook it.

Serves 6

For the pastry base
plain flour 120g
salt a pinch
pumpkin seeds 1 heaped tbsp, chopped very finely
butter 90g, plus extra for greasing
water 20ml

For the filling
pumpkin 500g
orange juice 50ml
butter 50g
plain cooked chestnuts 100g, peeled
ground walnuts 40g
vanilla pod 1, cut in very small bits
egg yolks 3
tapioca flour 1 tsp
orange marmalade 120g
ground cinnamon ½ tsp
ground ginger ⅓ tsp
double cream 160ml

For the topping
semi-dried cranberries 250g
orange juice 60ml
orange marmalade 80g
pumpkin seeds 2 tbsp, toasted and chopped very finely
creme fraiche to serve

For the pastry, place the flour in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre, sprinkle the salt and the pumpkin seeds over, and add the butter in the middle. Slowly bring the flour into the centre and mix with your fingertips to achieve a crumbly texture. Add the water and work the dough with the palm of your hands until it comes together and is smooth. Shape into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes.

For the filling, peel the pumpkin and cut in 1cm-thick slices. On a chopping board, using a 5cm-diameter cutter, cut 8 rounds from the pumpkin slices and keep aside.

Cut the remaining pumpkin in small pieces and place in a saucepan with the orange juice. Bring to the boil then cover and reduce the heat to a light simmer. Leave for 10 minutes then take off the lid and stir with a spoon to evaporate the liquid until it looks like a thick compote. Remove from the heat.

In a small pan, heat the butter until golden brown, then pour directly into a blender. Add the cooked pumpkin and all the remaining filling ingredients except the cream. Process until very smooth, and then add the cream. Process again for only 5 seconds more.

Preheat the oven to 220C/gas mark 8. Roll out the dough to 4mm thick. Grease a 22cm tart tin, then line it with the pastry, making sure all the edges and sides are pressed to eliminate any air bubbles. Leave a slight overhang and blind bake until golden brown.

Meanwhile, heat some butter in a frying pan until foamy then add the reserved pumpkin rounds and cook until coloured and softened (but not too soft).

When the blind baking is finished, remove the tart case from the oven, and reduce the heat to 175C/gas mark 4. Remove the baking beans and paper from the pastry case, then carefully pour in the pumpkin filling. Level the top, then return to the oven.

After 10 minutes of baking, arrange the pumpkin rounds on top of the tart. The mixture should be set just enough so the pumpkin doesn’t completely sink. Return the tart to the oven for another 30 minutes. When cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, make the topping. Place the cranberries, orange juice and marmalade in a saucepan. Cook on low heat with a lid on until the cranberries soften and get a nice glaze.

Cut the tart in 6 slices, and glaze the top of each with the cranberry marmalade, then sprinkle with toasted seeds. Place a slice on each plate with a dollop of creme fraiche.