CHRISTMAS SERVING PLATTER RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Unclick and trim the romaine, radicchio, iceberg and chicory and spread them face up over a great big board to make receptacles for all the seafood.
  2. Put a griddle pan on a high heat.
  3. Halve, destone and peel the avocados (or use a spoon to scoop out the flesh), then cut into quarters. Dress with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper, then add to the hot griddle pan for around 4 minutes, turning as you go.
  4. Toast the bread in and around the avocado pieces, flipping when charred to make beautiful croutons.
  5. Scatter the prawns and shrimps in and around the little cups – try and treat all the cups in roughly the same way if you can, then wind and drape over pieces of the smoked salmon.
  6. Transfer the hot avocado to the board, clank it up and divide it between the cups. Roughly dice the toasts into 1cm pieces, then sprinkle over the board.
  7. Add the passata, mayo, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, celery salt, juice from 1 lemon and the horseradish to a blender along with a splash of whisky, brandy or vodka.
  8. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, followed by a lug of extra virgin olive oil, then whiz together. Have a taste, and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
  9. Pour the dressing in and around the cups and finish with a wodge of dill and some classic old-school cress ripped over.
  10. Remove the yellow celery leaves from the centre of the celery heart (saving the sticks for another day), slice up the root, then cut off the upper yellow celery leaves and sprinkle these all over too.
  11. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, dot the platter with wedges of lemon, and you’re done. Serve any extra sauce in a little bowl on the side.

Steps:

• In small bowl, stir together dip ingredients. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors.
• Rinse and thoroughly dry vegetables. Trim broccoli and cauliflower floret stems.
• Arrange broccoli on serving platter to form tree shape and tomatoes to form garland. Arrange bell pepper to form star and cauliflower to form snow (see photo). If desired, cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.
• Just before serving, arrange pretzels at bottom of tree to form trunk. Serve with dip.