MY most useful kitchen tool is a canelle knife. Fashionable, fancy gadgets may come and go, but this is my most treasured item and perfect for a very specific job: cutting thin strips from the rind of citrus fruits. I don’t use the type of knife which makes a single cut, but one which has five little blades that dig into the zest and pull away very thin strips, avoiding the bitter pith. Fresh lemon and orange rind is one of my favourite flavourings, enhancing dishes of all kinds. If you don’t have a canelle knife, ask for one for Christmas!

A pack of butter muslin squares is another essential. I use these in a number of ways, but mostly for making little swag bags of whole spices to infuse in a slow-cooking stew, or a pan of sauce or chutney. Today’s dish uses both items and although I always aim to make recipes simple to follow without expensive utensils, this one is a little different. A food processor, goblet liquidiser, or a good-sized coffee grinder, is very useful for making fresh breadcrumbs and chopping nuts to a fine consistency. But beware – machines don’t chop onions well, and I recommend doing this by hand, with a sharp knife. A machine chops unevenly, frequently turning juicy onions into mush, rather than into a fine dice.

This recipe is perfect for vegetarian guests, especially when you are catering for other tastes on the same day. With thought, it can be prepared as a vegan dish, using tahini instead of eggs for combining the nut mixture. Butter can be substituted with a little mushroom gravy and a dash of red wine to serve alongside. The cranberry confit is gorgeous with roast turkey too.

White nut loaf with chestnut stuffing

(Serves 8)

For the stuffing:

75g unsalted butter

100g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs

50g cooked chestnuts

50g ready-to-eat prunes

½ of a large orange, finely grated zest and juice

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stalks

Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper

Method

1. Melt butter slowly in a saucepan.

2. Finely chop chestnuts and prunes, and place them in a bowl with the breadcrumbs, orange zest and juice and fresh thyme.

3. Season with salt and black pepper. Mix well using fingertips.

4. Pour over the melted butter and bring the mixture together to form a ball.

5. Place a piece of clingfilm on the work surface. Place stuffing in the centre. Roughly shape into a sausage around 18cm x 7cm. Roll up in the clingfilm and twist the ends. Roll this in aluminium foil and chill in the refrigerator.

For the loaf:

175g plain cashew nuts

175g pine nuts

175g ground almonds (plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling)

200g fresh white breadcrumbs

1 large white onion

1 large lemon, finely grated zest only

Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

3 large eggs

Small amount of butter for greasing a 2lb loaf tin, measuring approximately 25cm x 10cm

Method

1. Grease base and sides of loaf tin with a little butter. Sprinkle all over with the extra quantity of ground almonds, coating the inside of the tin evenly.

2. Pre-heat oven to 190°C/Gas Mark 5.

3. Place the white breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl.

4. Chop the cashew and pine nuts finely in a food processor, or similar. Add to the breadcrumbs with the ground almonds, plus lemon zest. Mix together well.

5. Season liberally with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg, then mix again.

6. Peel and chop the onion very finely and add it to the mixture.

7. Whisk the eggs and pour in.

8. Bring together to a sticky, malleable consistency. If you need any extra liquid, add a drop of milk.

9. Roughly separate the mixture into 3 parts. Take one and press it firmly into the base of the tin, ensuring it is packed tightly into the corners. Fill the tin to around one third full.

10. Take the roll of stuffing from the fridge, check it is in shape and place in the centre of the tin.

11. Take more of the white nut mixture and pack it well, all around the stuffing, ensuring it seals with the base below and around the edges of the tin.

12. Take the last amount of mixture and pack it on top, filling the tin completely.

13. Using a palette knife, check that the edges are straight and not overlapping the top of the tin. Ensure the surface is even.

14. Sprinkle a small amount of extra ground almonds over the surface.

15. Cover with a layer of non-stick parchment paper. Cover this tightly with aluminium foil.

16. Bake loaf in pre-heated oven for 45 minutes.

17. Remove and set aside to cool.

18. If eating immediately, turn out on to a warm serving dish. If you are keeping it for another occasion, when the loaf is completely cold, wrap it in fresh parchment paper and foil and refrigerate. Alternatively, slice the loaf into portions and wrap each portion for refrigeration or freezing. Individual portions can be reheated in a microwave.

Cranberry Confit

(Serves up to 12)

4 large white onions

110g unsalted butter

12 cloves

1 stick of cinnamon, broken into pieces.

1 thumb-sized piece of root ginger, peeled and sliced

175g golden caster sugar

Freshly ground salt and black pepper

600g fresh cranberries

140ml ruby port

Grated zest of 1 large orange and strips of rind from 2 large oranges, cut with a canelle knife

Juice of 2 oranges, measuring up to 140ml in total

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Method

1. Peel onions and cut them in half from top to bottom. Place the flat side of each half on a chopping board and cut into very thin, moon-shaped slices.

2. Using a 45cm square of butter muslin, place the spices in the centre. Gather together like a mini swag bag, twist and tie securely with a piece of kitchen string.

3. Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan until hot and foamy. Place the sliced onions in the butter and stir until well-coated.

4. Add sugar, season with salt and pepper and stir again.

5. Bury the bag of spices in the mixture.

6. Cover the onions completely with a single layer of greaseproof paper. Turn down the heat to a very low simmer, cover the pot with a lid and cook slowly for 45 minutes.

7. Wash and check over the cranberries, then set aside in a bowl.

8. Add the finely grated orange zest and canelle strips of other oranges.

9. Squeeze the oranges until you have measured 140ml of fresh juice into a jug.

10. Add the port and red wine vinegar.

11. When the onions are very soft, add the berries, orange zest and strips, plus all the liquid, and stir well.

12. Leave the bag of spices in the mixture throughout the cooking period. Remove before serving or storing.

13. Bring mixture to boiling point, turn down heat and allow to cook and thicken slowly with the lid off. At first, the mixture will seem to have too much liquid, but steadily, this will reduce until it is similar to thick jam. The confit can be stored in a refrigerator and served cold, or reheated to serve warm.