Sherry recipes for Christmas

A generous helping of this classic festive tipple can take your cooking to the next level this Yuletide, says Philippa Davis – but remember to save a glass for Father Christmas

Three sherry recipes for Christmas

It was when I first started working as a chef at Moro, a Spanish restaurant in London, that I became aware of how little I knew about sherry. Until then, probably like many people, I was only really familiar with the sweeter type given to me at Christmas by my grandmother. Suddenly being exposed to a much wider variety, I became fascinated by the different flavours and how they could be paired and used with food.

In the partridge recipe below I like to use drier sherries such as fino, manzanilla or amontillado, always adding some towards the start of cooking and a splash at the end to help lift and intensify the flavour.

Roast partridge with clementine, winter spice and sherry gravy

Serves 2

• 2 whole oven-ready partridges
• 4 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 80g cooking chorizo, cut into 1cm cubes
• 4 large shallots, peeled and sliced into small wedges
• 2 sticks celery, washed, trimmed and cut into 1cm pieces
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 4 star anise
• 10g ginger, peeled and thinly sliced into strips
• 2 clementines, cut in half horizontally
• 85ml dry or medium sherry
• 150ml light game stock

1. Season the partridges before browning on both sides in a heavy-based, deep casserole dish on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Remove to a plate.
2. In the same dish add the remaining oil and the chorizo, shallots, celery, bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise, ginger and clementines. Season and sauté for 15 minutes, stirring often, until just softened and starting to caramelise.
3. Return the partridges, breast-side down, and splash in 50ml of the sherry and all the game stock. Place the lid almost fully on and simmer on a medium heat for 15 minutes.
4. Take off the heat, turn the partridges breast-side up and stir in the rest of the sherry. Leave to rest with the lid off for 5 minutes.
5. Serve with buttery mashed potato and a winter leaf salad.

Brussels sprout gratin with sherry, nutmeg and cheese

This creamy, boozy, cheesy gratin makes the perfect festive side dish. It can be made up and baked straight away or assembled the night before then cooked when required. If making in advance, it will need 10 to 15 minutes’ extra cooking time and the top may need covering if it starts to brown too much before the centre is piping hot.

As Brussels sprouts tend to have a slightly bitter flavour, I like to use a medium-dry sherry to add a little sweetness. However, slightly drier ones, such as palo cortado or oloroso, also work.

Serves 6

• 500g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced in half
• 250g shallots, peeled and finely sliced
• 25g butter
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 25g plain flour
• 200ml whole milk
• 200ml double cream
• 50g mature cheddar
• 6 tbsp dry or medium sherry
• 1 nutmeg, finely grated

Topping

• 50g dried breadcrumbs
• 50g mature cheddar, grated
• 50g salted butter
• 1 large clove of garlic, peeled and finely grated
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp thyme, finely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/Gas Mark 7.
2. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, blanch the sprouts for 3 minutes or until just al dente, then strain and leave to drain.
3. In a medium saucepan on a medium heat, season and sauté the shallots in the butter and oil. Stirring often, cook until softened – about 15 minutes.
4. Sprinkle over the flour, cook for 1 minute then gently whisk in the milk and cream.
5. Bring to a simmer and whisk in the cheddar, sherry and nutmeg.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Stir in the blanched sprouts then scoop into a baking dish.

Topping

1. Mix the topping ingredients together and scatter over the sprouts and cheese sauce.
2. Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden and bubbling hot.

Tangerine cake with sherry icing

Bringing bright flecks of citrusy tangerines, a beautiful layer of white, snowy icing and an utterly irresistible waft of sherry, this cake totally sings out ‘Merry Christmas’.

Makes 10 to 12 slices

• 225g salted butter, softened
• 225g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla paste
• 3 medium free-range eggs, lightly beaten
• 250g self-raising flour
• 4 tbsp medium or cream sherry
• 2 tangerines, zested then peeled and the flesh finely chopped

Drizzle

• 60ml tangerine juice
• 20g icing sugar

Icing

• 200g icing sugar
• 3-4 tbsp medium or cream sherry

To decorate

A sprig of holly

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/Gas Mark 4.
2. Line a 23cm-deep loose-ringed cake tin.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
4. Gently beat in the vanilla, half of the eggs and half of the flour, then add the remaining eggs and flour plus the sherry, tangerine zest and chopped-up tangerine flesh. Mix well.
5. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
6. Once out of the oven and still hot, lightly prick the cake all over with a skewer.

Drizzle

Mix the tangerine juice and icing sugar together and drizzle over the cake. When the cake has cooled, remove from the tin and place on your serving plate.

Icing and decoration

Stir the icing sugar and sherry together and pour over the cake. Leave to set for 30 minutes then top with a sprig of holly.