WINTER HUES

We celebrate three vibrant fruits that shine in the winter months. Try these recipes from Esther Clark

- Esther Clark

Esther is a recipe writer and food stylist who trained at Leiths School of Food & Wine, before working as a chef in Italy. She loves to cook for friends at home and particularly enjoys creating recipes using new ingredients and seasonal produce. @esthermclark

Pomegranate is at its peak in December and January. Look out for the deep, ruby-red-skinned type rather than those with paler skin, because the quality of the fruit inside will be much better. The seeds have a sweet, tart flavour, delicious scattered over a salad or rich chocolate cake, or with tender slow-cooked lamb flavoured with Middle Eastern spices. I’ve used mine as part of a cure for a festive gravlax. The tart flavour of the fresh pomegranate combined with deep, unctuous molasses makes a lovely sweet and savoury complement to the fish, plus it looks impressive as well as tasting great, so it’s ideal for serving on Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve.

Cranberries are traditionally cooked into a sauce over Christmas as part of a roast dinner, or added to a sandwich of leftovers. Here, I’ve paired the classic cranberry sauce with luxuriously rich Spanish croquettes – deep-fried balls of creamy bechamel and salty cheese, coated in a golden crumb. This sauce could also be eaten with sausage rolls or even on porridge as part of a sweet breakfast.

Our last seasonal star is the clementine. Not just for the fruit bowl, a touch of this tangy fruit can give savoury dishes a lift. Duck and citrus is a classic pairing, and, once roasted, the clementine adds freshness to the salted, crispy duck legs. You could also try roasting yours with a whole duck or goose on the big day.