COME TOGETHER

RAVINDER BHOGAL'S CHRISTMAS MENU IS MADE FOR SHARING - PAIR THESE DELICIOUS PLATTERS WITH A VIBRANT TABLESCAPE

- PIP RICH

THE WARMEST OF WELCOMES

Warm, welcoming and wonderful are the words that best sum up Jikoni, Ravinder Bhogal's restaurant in London's Marylebone and the location of this shoot. Scented with spice and sweetness, her dishes are inspired by her mixed global heritage, with influences coming from Kenya, India and the UK. Fans include Nigella Lawson and Yotam Ottolenghi. 'Christmas is a time for people to come together and celebrate their traditions,' says Ravinder. 'It's nice to present guests with dishes they're familiar with, but then to get them excited by an unexpected flavour or hit of spice.' She recommends big platters for this time of year easier to prepare and 'they make the table look like a banquet'. Jikoni, 19-21 Blandford Street, London WIU3DH; jikonilondon.com

WINTER NEGRONI

The classic negroni is given a seasonal twist courtesy of elementine juice and rosemary. For each drink, put 25ml gin, 25ml Campari, 25ml vermouth, 25ml freshly squeezed clementine juice and a sprig of rosemary into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake hard. Pour into a tumbler filled with ice and garnish with a slice of clementine and a sprig of rosemary. Cin cin!

GRIDDLED PEARS WITH BURRATA & BLISTERED KALE 

Griddling pears like this teases out their natural sweetness, making a perfect foil for the bitter kale

1 To make the dressing, whisk together the extra virgin oil some ground black pepper. Set aside.

2 Place a griddle pan over a high heat and drizzle the pear quarters with olive oil. When the pan is hot, arrange the pears on it, flesh-side down, and cook for around 2 minutes. Turn and repeat until all the fleshy surfaces are charred. Toss the kale with a little more olive oil and season with sea salt. Add to the griddle pan and cook until blistered and slightly charred.