Rukmini Iyer’s quick and easy recipes for jewelled winter salad and chocolate orange pudding | Quick and easy

This wonderfully filling salad is perfect as part of a festive spread, or an easy, feed-a-crowd lunch with some crusty bread alongside; it really is worth getting hold of a jar of butter beans, too . The dessert, meanwhile, is the bread-and-butter pudding of dreams: an indulgent, chocolate pudding featuring a grown-up jaffa cake melting middle – just ask a bear to lend you a jar of marmalade from its hat. It’s best eaten minutes after coming out of the oven, but you can prep it the day before and refrigerate before cooking. Any leftovers are wonderful for breakfast.To get ahead, roast the squash the day before and marinate the beans overnight, then warm through and put the dish together the next day

Rachel Roddy’s recipe for a sociable fish stew | A kitchen in Rome

According to the cultural association Livorno Euro Mediterranea, the name of the city’s sociable soup-stew, cacciucco, is borrowed from the Turkish word küçük (small). The reason for this, according to the more plausible origin myths and etymology accepted by linguistic science, is the introduction to a Livornese tavern (possibly by a Turkish sea merchant) of a Turkish fish soup called balık çorbası. The resourceful and quickly adopted recipe called for küçük balık (small fish), and küçük was borrowed and became cacciucco.However the soup came into being, a recipe made from an amalgam of fish had the most favourable environment in a thriving Tuscan seaport with its amalgam of communities, as well as in the arrival of tomatoes in everyday cooking, in the late 1700s. The evolving cacciucco reflected all of this, so no wonder it became a symbol of the city

The Don, London: ‘The expectation was for something warmer’ – restaurant review

The menu here was overseen by Rowley Leigh, but his generous touch in the kitchen is missingThe Don, 20 St Swithin’s Lane, London EC4N 8AD. Starters £14.50–£19.50, mains £22.50–£47

Bottles for the festive season’s in-between days

Perfect pairings for those seasonal get-togethersThe Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.MOMO Carmelo’s Green Mandarin Kombucha (£28 for six 33cl bottles, momo-kombucha.com) From the disappointing tangerine at the bottom of the stocking to the peel in the mulled wine and the Christmas cake, citrus, and specifically orange citrus, is, to use the cheffy vernacular, one of the “signature flavours” of the season

José Pizarro’s recipe for crisp roast brussels sprouts with a manchego crust

These crisp roast sprouts with a manchego crust bring a creative twist to a classic side dish. Tossed in olive oil, smoked pimenton and honey, the brussels are roasted until caramelised and crisp, which helps to balance the smoky and sweet flavours. Fresh oregano and grated garlic add an extra dimension, while a good scattering of manchego gives them a golden, savoury crust. This simple yet flavourful dish is perfect for sharing and makes a fantastic addition to any meal, festive or otherwise. It’s also a fresh and easy way to enjoy brussels sprouts

How to make potted shrimp – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

I adore potted shrimp. Not only do these little ramekins, with their jolly red sprinkle of cayenne pepper atop a golden cap of clarified butter, feel like fishy emissaries from a more elegant age, but they can also be prepared days in advance, which frees me up to drink fizz with friends instead of faffing around in the kitchen. A Christmas gift indeed.Prep 5 min Cook 15 min Serves 4200g unsalted butter Juice of ¼ lemon ¼ tsp ground mace ¼ tsp ground white pepper ½ tsp anchovy paste/Gentleman’s Relish 200g cooked and peeled brown shrimpsCayenne pepper, to serve (optional)Fresh dill, to serve (optional)4 slices thin white bread, to serve (optional)Cooked and peeled brown shrimp (whiskery beasts about 5cm long) are available in many supermarkets, fishmongers and online, but small peeled prawns will also work fine here, too. If you’re eating this dish within a couple of days, there’s no real need to clarify the butter (though it does give the end result a pleasingly silky texture), so you can skip steps 3 to 5, if you prefer