Winter is what British food does best. The weeks around Christmas coincide with the earthy bounty of the game season, cold-weather cabbages and a glut of sweet root vegetables. There’s also a lot of pork around. To my mind, a big piggy roast with some creamy parsnips, or a brace of pheasants cooked in a pot, makes just as much sense as a barrel-chested bird from North America.

And let’s not forget the sea: there are few better treats than a whole fish, baked in the oven and brought to the table with a jug of silken hollandaise. This is my idea of celebration food. What these dishes share is a modest luxury and wintry comfort that lift them above the simplicity of their ingredients and make them food fit for a feast.A rooty mash or bake has much to recommend it in the way of heart-warming joy at Christmas. These all work with roasts or game, and the spiced carrot mash is particularly good with ham. Each serves 4-6 as a side dish

THREE GOOD BITS ON THE SIDE

SPICED CARROT AND APPLE MASH

Peel and core 1 medium cooking apple and chop into small pieces. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a small pan, add the apple, cover, then gently stew for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apple is totally soft. Stir to make a smooth purée.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Peel 3 medium carrots and 2 medium potatoes, then cut them into 1cm pieces. Add the carrots to the pot and cook for 10 minutes, then add the potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes until soft. Drain and mash thoroughly, then add the apple purée, ½ tsp orange zest, 25g butter, 40ml cream, a pinch of cinnamon and a grating of nutmeg. Beat until smooth and season with salt and pepper to taste.

PARSNIP GRATIN

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Butter a gratin dish. Peel 500g parsnips and slice as thin as possible. Steam for 5-10 minutes until soft, but still holding their shape (or boil for 4-5 minutes and allow to steam dry). Layer roughly in the gratin dish.

Mix together 175ml double cream, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, the leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme, 1 heaped tsp dijon mustard and a grating of nutmeg. Season generously, particularly with salt. Pour over the parsnips and press down so the liquid oozes through the vegetables. Dot the top with more butter and cook in the oven for 45 minutes until bubbling and golden.

CELERIAC MASH

Peel 225g celeriac and cut into small chunks. Place immediately into a saucepan with 150ml milk and bring to the boil. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until soft, then purée with the milk it was cooked in. Meanwhile, peel 2 medium potatoes and place in a saucepan of salted cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 25 minutes until tender. Drain well, then mash thoroughly and return to the saucepan. Mix in the puréed celeriac and place the pan over a medium heat as you beat in 60g butter and a generous amount of salt and pepper.

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