Mark Hix recipes: Let our chef inspire you to create a very different Christmas feast

After writing this column for 12 years, I suspect I must have suggested just about every Christmas meal alternative known to man, save for goat, dog and puffin – and unless you are travelling far away this year, they may not be options on the day.

Well, this year I am going back to basics with recipes inspired by memories from college, a trip to New York and dishes from my career in restaurants. All of them can be prepared in advance, which is the key thing on Christmas Day; you won't need to spend too much time in the kitchen if you get yourself organised a few days beforehand.

A smoked fish medley

Serve 6-8

You can serve this individually plated or as a sharing dish in the middle of the table. I suggest, if you do do a sharing plate, you might want to increase the quantities, as guests helping themselves tend to pile their plates high.

1) Smoked eel salad

200-250g smoked eel fillet
A handful of curly endive (frisée) washed and dried
6 rashers of rindless streaky bacon, cut into small dice

For the dressing

1tbsp cider or white wine vinegar
1tsp Dijon mustard
2tbsp rapeseed oil
2tbsp olive oil

Whisk all of the ingredients together and season. Fry the bacon in a dry frying pan for a couple of minutes on a medium heat until crisp, then transfer to a plate with some kitchen paper.

To serve, toss the frisée with the bacon and dressing and arrange on serving plates, then cut the eel into portions and place on top.

2) Smoked salmon pâté

250g smoked salmon or smoked salmon trimmings
200g crème fraîche
Salt and cayenne pepper
Lemon juice to taste

Blend the salmon trimmings in a food processor with a little water until you have a coarse purée. Add the crème fraîche and blend briefly until well mixed, or mix by hand. Season to taste with salt, cayenne and lemon juice if necessary, cover and store in the fridge until required.

To serve, either dip a dessert spoon in hot water and scoop out the pâté on to serving plates or transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle cayenne pepper on top.

3) Smoked trout and potato salad

200-250g smoked trout fillet
2 large shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1tbsp freshly-grated horseradish plus some more if required
100ml chicken or vegetable stock
30ml cider vinegar
250 large new potatoes, peeled, > cooked and sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1tbsp chopped parsley
1tbsp rapeseed oil

Cook the shallots, horseradish, two-thirds of the vegetable stock and the vinegar until almost completely reduced.

Add the sliced potatoes and the rest of the stock, stir well, cover and cook gently over a low heat for another 4-5 minutes, giving the occasional stir. The liquid should have almost disappeared and the potatoes should be falling apart a little.

Stir in the rapeseed oil and parsley, add more horseradish if it needs it, and then replace the lid to keep warm.

To serve, spoon the potatoes on to a serving plate, cut the trout into portions and arrange on top.

Christmas duck

Serves 6-8

A couple of months ago, I was in New York and went to Eleven Madison Park for dinner and had something similar to this – though I've added my own twist.

2 x 2-2.2kg free-range ducks
1 large onion, peeled, halved and finely chopped
2tsp thyme leaves
A couple of knobs of butter
6 small dessert apples
2tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs

For the duck crust

3-4tbsp clear honey
15g cloves
50g fennel seeds
25g black peppercorns
25g juniper berries
50g coriander seeds

A couple of days before: if the skin of the duck is wet then pat it dry with some kitchen paper. Coarsely grind up all of the spices in a grinder or mini food chopper.

Score the skin of the duck with a sharp knife, then rub in the honey and pack the spices all across the skin, pressing it into the skin with your hands. Place the duck on a tray and leave in the fridge for 2-3 days uncovered, to allow it to set and dry.

Remove the legs from the ducks and pull away the skin, which you can either discard or use, diced up, for roast potatoes.

Carefully remove the bone, then finely dice the flesh, or quickly chop it in a food processor.

Meanwhile, gently cook the onion and thyme in the butter for 2-3 minutes until soft, then leave to cool. Cut the stalk end off the apples about ½cm down and scoop out about two-thirds of the flesh, leaving it intact.

Mix the duck meat, onions and breadcrumbs together and season to taste, then stuff into the apples and replace the lid.

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Roast the duck for 15-20 minutes, then place the apples in the same tray or a separate one and continue cooking for another 20-25 minutes, ensuring the duck remains nice and pink.

To serve, remove the breasts then cut each breast in half lengthways and arrange on warmed serving plates with the apple and some gravy.

Salsify and sprout tops

Serves 4-5

I'm not sure how many people pick up salsify, but if they did, they would find it a very versatile friend.

500-600g sprout tops, washed and trimmed
10-12 sticks of salsify
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
50-60g butter
1 lemon, halved

Have two bowls of water ready, one with clean water and the other with the lemon in.

Top and tail the salsify and peel with a swivel potato peeler, not a normal one as this will take too much of the flesh off. As you peel the salsify, rinse it clean in the water then place it in the lemon water.

Cook the salsify in the lemon water with some salt added, for 5-6 minutes, or until just tender, then drain and leave to cool.

Cook the sprout tops in boiling salted water and drain in a colander. Slice the salsify into lozenges on the angle, heat the butter in a large pan and toss the sprout tops and salsify together, seasoning as they are warming through, then serve immediately.

Festive rice bombe

Serves 6-8

This is a slightly updated, lighter version of the French classic.

1-1.5ltrs Jersey milk
100g good-quality short grain pudding rice
½ a vanilla pod
70-100g granulated sugar
500ml thick Jersey cream
3 egg whites
25g caster sugar
2 leaves of gelatine
10 good-quality dried apricots, soaked overnight and cut into 8
10 dried figs, soaked overnight and cut the same size as the apricots
20 glacé cherries, halved
A couple of sticks (30-40g) of Angelica, cut into ½cm dice
100g apricot jam mixed with 20ml water

Put the milk into a heavy saucepan, halve the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape the seeds into a litre of the milk, adding the pods too.

Bring the milk and half of the granulated sugar to the boil in a heavy-based saucepan, add the rice and simmer very gently for about 45 minutes, stirring regularly until the rice is soft. A simmer plate is good for keeping a low constant temperature under the pan.

Add more milk if the rice pudding is getting too thick. Soak the gelatine leaves in some water for a couple of minutes, then squeeze out and stir into the rice. Leave to cool for about half an hour, giving the occasional stir, then add the cream and the dried fruits and leave to cool again, stirring every so often.

Meanwhile, scald a mixing bowl with boiling water and dry with some kitchen paper. By hand or with a machine, whisk the egg whites and caster until stiff, then fold into the rice mixture. Transfer to a 1 litre pudding basin or a jelly mould, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, heat the apricot jam with the water, whisk and put to one side. Turn out the rice by dipping it into a bowl of hot water for 15 seconds and upturning. Now spoon the apricot jam on top.