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Imelletty perunalaatikkoSweet baked potato casserole

Imelletty perunalaatikko is the most traditional of the Finnish Christmas casseroles, made in the days before Christmas Eve. Mashed potato is mixed with a little flour and left warm for hours, so the potatoes' own enzymes turn starch into sugar ('imelletty' means sweetened), and then it is baked slowly until the top is a deep caramel brown. The result tastes gently sweet with no added sugar and is eaten with ham, herring or, on a vegetarian table, with mushroom salad and beetroot. Chef's tip: keep the mash at hand-warm (about 55 °C) while it sweetens; too hot and the enzymes die, too cool and nothing happens.

300 minScandinavian Sides

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RjúpurPtarmigan in cream sauce

For many Icelandic families, rjúpa (rock ptarmigan) is the true Christmas Eve dish, a small wild bird with dark, gamey meat that is hunted in autumn under strict seasonal limits and kept frozen for the holiday. The breasts are browned, then braised gently in stock made from the legs and carcass, and the sauce is finished with cream and a spoon of redcurrant jelly. Serve with caramelised potatoes and red cabbage. Outside Iceland, use partridge, pigeon or pheasant breasts. Chef's tip: make the stock from the legs and carcasses the day before; it is what gives the sauce its deep game flavour.

180 minScandinavian Meat

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Khao niao daeng (Thai red sticky rice)

Khao niao daeng, "red sticky rice", is made in Central Thailand in the days before Songkran and carried to the temple as an offering, its sticky grains a wish that family ties hold fast through the year. The rice is steamed first, then folded into a long-reduced coconut and palm sugar caramel until it turns a glossy red-brown and every grain is sweet, chewy and fragrant. Pressed into a tray, it slices neatly and keeps for a few days, so it is a good make-ahead sweet for a crowd. Serve squares with a sprinkle of toasted sesame and a cup of tea. Chef's tip: reduce the caramel until it is thick and bubbling slowly before the rice goes in, or the rice turns mushy instead of chewy.

90 min

Thai Desserts

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HamborgarhryggurGlazed smoked pork loin

Hamborgarhryggur, 'Hamburg-style loin', is the most common Christmas Eve centrepiece in Iceland, served at six o'clock when the church bells ring Christmas in. It is a cured and lightly smoked pork loin on the bone, simmered gently, then glazed with brown sugar and mustard and baked until shiny. It comes to the table with caramelised potatoes, red cabbage, green peas and a creamy sauce. Use a smoked pork loin (Kassler) from a butcher. Chef's tip: keep the poaching water just trembling, not boiling, so the cured meat stays juicy.

150 minScandinavian Meat

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PorkkanalaatikkoCarrot and rice casserole

A Finnish Christmas Eve table is set with a row of oven-baked casseroles called laatikot, and porkkanalaatikko, the carrot one, is the children's favourite. Grated carrots are folded into soft rice porridge with milk, egg and a spoon of golden syrup, then baked until the top is caramel-brown with a ring of crisp edge. It is served hot beside the ham or, in vegetarian homes, with beetroot salad and potatoes. It can be made a day ahead and reheated. Chef's tip: use the rice porridge cold, so it holds the egg mixture and the casserole sets into soft, sliceable layers instead of a runny mash.

85 minScandinavian Sides

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SandkakerAlmond butter tartlet biscuits

Sandkaker ('sand cakes') are small, crumbly almond and butter biscuits pressed into fluted tins, and they are a fixture among the seven Norwegian Christmas biscuits. The dough is short and rich with ground almonds and a few bitter almonds or almond extract, and the shells are served upside-down as they are, or filled with whipped cream and berries. You need small fluted tartlet tins (sandkake forms). Chef's tip: press the dough as thin as you can against the tin sides, because thick shells stay doughy in the middle and won't release cleanly.

55 minScandinavian Baking

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Polkagris (Gränna peppermint candy sticks)

Gränna, a small town on the shore of Lake Vättern, has been pulling polkagris since the 1850s, and visitors still stand at shop windows watching the sugar being stretched and twisted on marble tables. The sticks are sold all year but are a favourite in summer, when the town fills with tourists, and again at Christmas. Pulled properly, the white part turns satiny and slightly airy, so the candy is crisp on the outside and almost chalky-soft as it melts, with a clean, cooling peppermint flavour and a thin red spiral. Eat them as they are, crush them over ice cream or hang them on the tree. Polkagris is naturally egg-free: nothing but sugar boiled to the hard-crack stage holds it together, and the pulling, not any added protein, gives the pale, opaque texture. Chef's tip: work in a dry kitchen with oiled gloves and have every tool ready before the sugar reaches temperature; the common mistake is letting the mass cool too far before pulling, at which point it cracks instead of stretching.

50 minScandinavian Desserts

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Knäck (Swedish Christmas toffee)

No Swedish julbord is complete without knäck. Families make it in the weeks before Christmas Eve, often with children filling the little paper cases, and it sits on the table beside saffron buns, gingersnaps and ischoklad. Equal parts of cream, golden syrup and sugar boil down into a deep caramel that sets glossy and firm, then gives way to a pleasant chew; chopped almonds add crunch. It is lovely with strong coffee or glögg made from berry juice. Knäck has never contained egg: the cream is boiled until its milk sugars caramelise and the mixture reaches the hard-ball stage, so the sugar itself sets the toffee. Some cooks stir in breadcrumbs; they are left out here so the toffee stays gluten free. Chef's tip: test the toffee by dropping a little into cold water rather than trusting the clock alone; the common mistake is stopping too early, which leaves knäck that sticks to your teeth and to its paper.

55 minScandinavian Desserts

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SörurAlmond meringue cookies with buttercream

Sörur are Iceland's most loved Christmas cookie, named after the French actress Sarah Bernhardt and adapted from a Danish pastry. Icelandic families bake them in batches through Advent and keep them in the freezer, where they are eaten straight from frozen. A chewy-crisp almond meringue disc is spread with silky coffee buttercream made on egg yolks and dipped in dark chocolate. The yolks are cooked by a hot sugar syrup; for anyone pregnant, very young or vulnerable, use pasteurised egg yolks. They are gluten free. Chef's tip: grind the almonds with the sugar, which stops them turning oily, for a finer meringue.

80 minScandinavian Desserts

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Kalamae (Thai coconut caramel sticky rice sweet)

Kalamae is the Songkran sweet of Central Thailand: in villages, neighbours take turns at a huge wok for hours, and the finished trays go to monks and elders at the New Year, the long shared stirring standing for a community pulling together and the sweetness for a sweet year ahead. Glutinous rice flour, coconut milk and palm sugar slowly turn from milky beige to a deep mahogany paste that is chewy, a little smoky and rich with coconut. Cut it into small squares and serve with jasmine tea, or wrap the pieces in banana leaf to give away. A home batch takes about two and a half hours at the stove, so put on some music and keep a wooden spoon moving. Chef's tip: use the widest heavy pan you own; more surface means faster thickening and less risk of scorching.

180 min

Thai Desserts

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Quinotos en almíbar (Argentine kumquats in syrup)

In Buenos Aires and the river provinces of the Litoral, kumquat trees ripen in the middle of winter, between June and August, and the fruit goes straight into jars of syrup. Grandmothers' pantries held quinotos for the whole year, brought out for birthdays and long Sunday lunches. Each little fruit turns glossy orange and translucent, with a soft, bittersweet skin and a sharp, juicy centre. Spoon them over vanilla ice cream, serve them with a slice of fresh cheese in the style of postre vigilante, or eat them straight from the jar. Many bar menus offer them steeped in spirits; this version keeps only the syrup. Naturally egg-free, the quinotos rely on sugar syrup to preserve them, while pectin from the peel gives the syrup a light, jammy body. Chef's tip: blanch the fruit three times from cold water; the common mistake is skipping this, which leaves the skins tough and bitter.

120 min

Argentinian Desserts

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VörtbrödDark Christmas rye bread

In Sweden the Christmas smörgåsbord (julbord) is never without vörtbröd, a dark, soft, slightly sticky rye loaf flavoured with wort, the sweet malty liquid brewers start beer from, plus dark syrup, orange peel, clove and ginger. It is sliced, buttered and eaten with the Christmas ham or with cheese. Many home bakers use dark beer, which contains alcohol; this recipe uses a non-alcoholic dark malt drink, which gives the same malty depth. It keeps for 4 days, and freezes well. Chef's tip: rye dough is sticky and never feels smooth like wheat; resist adding lots of extra flour or the loaf will be dry.

70 minScandinavian Baking

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KrumkakeThin wafer cones

Krumkake are one of the 'syv slag', the seven kinds of biscuit a Norwegian household traditionally bakes for Christmas. A thin, buttery batter is pressed between the plates of a patterned krumkake iron, then each lacy wafer is rolled round a wooden cone while still hot and pliable. They are served plain, or filled at the table with whipped cream and cloudberries or other berries. You do need the electric or stovetop krumkake iron. Chef's tip: roll each wafer within seconds of lifting it off the iron, as it sets crisp almost at once.

60 minScandinavian Baking

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RosettbakkelsFried rosette biscuits

Rosettbakkels are another of Norway's seven traditional Christmas biscuits, delicate fried flowers made by dipping a heated metal rosette iron into thin batter and then into hot oil, where the batter puffs, crisps and drops off as a lacy rosette. They are dusted with icing sugar and kept in tins for the Christmas visitors. You need a rosette iron, sold in kitchen shops at Christmas. Chef's tip: dip the iron into the batter only three-quarters of the way up, as batter over the top locks the rosette onto the iron.

45 minScandinavian Baking

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SerinakakerAlmond and pearl sugar butter biscuits

Serinakaker are the easiest of the Norwegian seven Christmas biscuits, so they are often the first one children help to bake in Advent. Small balls of rich butter dough are flattened with a fork, brushed with egg and topped with chopped almonds and pearl sugar, then baked until the edges just colour. They taste of butter and vanilla, with a crunch on top. Chef's tip: use baker's ammonia (hjortetakksalt) if you can find it for the traditional crisp-light snap; baking powder works too but gives a softer biscuit.

32 minScandinavian Baking

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MaksalaatikkoLiver and rice casserole

Maksalaatikko is a baked casserole of rice, milk, minced liver, onion, raisins and a little syrup, and it is one of the old dishes on the Finnish Christmas table, eaten all year too. It sounds unusual, but the liver softens into a mild, savoury custard and the raisins and syrup give a gentle sweetness, all cut by sharp lingonberry jam. This version uses pork or calf's liver, minced or very finely chopped; pork liver is the most traditional. Chef's tip: soak the minced liver in milk while the rice cooks, which mellows the flavour.

100 minScandinavian Meat

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Krathong thong (crispy golden cups with chicken)

Krathong thong, "golden baskets", are named after the little floating krathong set on the rivers at Loy Krathong in Central Thailand, and their golden colour makes them a party bite for wishing wealth at festivals and New Year gatherings. A thin rice-flour batter is fried on a hot flower-shaped mould into crisp, delicate cups that shatter at the first bite. The filling is minced chicken cooked with sweetcorn, carrot, garlic and a little sugar, so it is gently sweet and savoury, which children love. Serve them as a starter with a sweet chilli dip, filling the cups just before serving so they stay crisp. Chef's tip: the cups keep for a week in an airtight tin, so fry them a day ahead and only cook the filling on the day.

60 min

Thai Snacks & Starters

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JulekakeCardamom raisin Christmas bread

Julekake is the Christmas bread of Norway, baked in the days before Christmas Eve and eaten for breakfast on Christmas morning, sliced and spread with butter and brown goat's cheese (brunost). It is a soft, round, golden loaf enriched with milk and butter, perfumed with freshly ground cardamom and dotted with raisins and candied citrus peel. It is plain enough to enjoy every day of the holidays, and leftovers make wonderful toast. Chef's tip: crush whole cardamom seeds yourself just before baking; ready-ground cardamom loses its scent within weeks.

65 minScandinavian Baking

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Turrón de maníPeanut nougat

On an Argentine Christmas Eve, after midnight toasts, the 'mesa dulce' appears with pan dulce, garrapiñadas and turrón de maní: a chewy white nougat of honey, sugar, whipped egg white and roasted peanuts, often set between two sheets of rice paper. Families make it in the days before Nochebuena. The egg white is cooked by the hot syrup. It is gluten free if you use gluten-free wafer paper or none. Chef's tip: work fast once the syrup is in, as the nougat stiffens as it cools and gets hard to spread.

60 min

Argentinian Desserts

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MedisterkakerSpiced pork patties

On Christmas Eve in eastern Norway the main dish is ribbe, crackling pork belly, and on the same platter come medisterkaker: soft, pale pork patties seasoned with nutmeg, ginger and white pepper, fried in butter and then simmered gently in the ribbe juices. They are made from medisterfarse, a fine pork mince lightened with milk and potato starch, and are just as popular on ordinary weeknights with brown gravy. Chef's tip: beat the mince with the milk a little at a time until light and sticky, as this is what makes the patties so tender.

50 minScandinavian Meat

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JuleribbeRoast pork belly with crackling

In much of Norway, Christmas Eve means ribbe: a slab of pork belly with the ribs left in, roasted until the scored rind puffs into crackling and the meat beneath is soft and juicy. It is served with medisterkaker, tangy caraway sauerkraut, red cabbage, boiled potatoes and gravy from the pan. Butchers sell ribbe ready scored in squares at Christmas. Chef's tip: salt the rind and leave it uncovered in the fridge for 1–2 days; a dry rind is the secret of the crackling.

230 minScandinavian Meat

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Khao chae (jasmine-scented chilled rice)

Khao chae came to Central Thailand with the Mon people and became the classic Songkran lunch for the hottest days of April: rice served in iced, flower-scented water to cool the body and honour the New Year with something cool and fresh. The rice sits in its fragrant water, surrounded by little savoury bites eaten in turn: fried shrimp-paste balls (luk kapi), battered stuffed shallots and moo foi, sweet shredded pork fried until it is dry and caramelised. Each mouthful is a bite of salty-sweet side followed by a spoon of cold, clean rice. Scent the water with food-safe, unsprayed jasmine flowers or a few drops of food-grade jasmine extract, never florist's flowers. Chef's tip: rinse the cooked rice to wash off its starch so the water stays clear and the grains stay firm.

240 min

Thai Rice & Grains

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Kluay tak (Thai dried bananas, oven method)

In Bang Krathum, a district of Phitsanulok in lower northern Thailand, small nam wa bananas are peeled and laid out under the sun in glass-roofed drying boxes for several days, then pressed flat to make kluay tak. The district is famous for them, and bags are bought as a gift on the road home and nibbled with tea or coffee in the afternoon. They are dense and chewy like a soft toffee, dark amber, with a deep caramel and honey flavour that comes only from the fruit. As sun-drying takes days and needs steady heat, this version uses a very low oven overnight, then a rest in a jar so the moisture evens out. They are naturally egg-free and need nothing to bind them: the banana's own sugars concentrate and hold it together. Chef's tip: keep the oven low and prop the door open with a wooden spoon; the common mistake is a hot oven, which cooks and blackens the outside while the centre stays wet.

1340 min

Thai Desserts

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Aguadito de polloCoriander chicken rice soup

Aguadito is the soup Lima serves in the small hours: at the end of a wedding, after New Year's Eve and at weekend family lunches, it is ladled out thick and steaming to revive everyone. Rice simmers in chicken broth coloured deep green with blended coriander and warmed with yellow ají amarillo, along with peas, carrot, pepper, sweetcorn and potato. A portion gives about 24 g of protein, from the chicken with a little from the rice and peas, for around 480 kcal. The common mistake is adding the coriander purée too early: cooked for long it turns khaki and loses its fresh taste, so stir it in for the last 10 minutes. The chicken must reach 74 °C at the bone. Chef's tip: blend a handful of spinach with the coriander; it keeps the colour vivid green without changing the flavour.

75 min

Peruvian Soups

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