After serving up tasty dishes to celebrities around the world, including Donatella Versace, Stormzy and Russell Brand, the London-based chef is bringing it closer to home this Christmas.
Nina Parker – the author of two successful cookbooks Nina St Tropez and Nina Capri – is back in the kitchen once again whipping up delightful delicacies form her latest offering, Saucy.
Borne out of a less than healthy lockdown situation, it mimics the author’s own flexitarian diet. It features mainly flavour-packed vegan and veggie dishes with a few fish and meat ideas like her signature Tiger Bite Roast Bream and Lockdown Chicken thrown in for good measure.
We caught up with Nina as she spills the beans on all things Christmas.
What does Christmas 2020 look like for you?
Everything is still a little up in the air but I’m just hoping that I can be with my family and we can eat some seriously good food together. Cold water swimming in the countryside would also appeal to me.
What is on your Christmas wish list this year?
I have my eye on a rug from the Moroccan brand Lrnce. They do the most beautiful pots and vases too!
What’s the best Christmas gift you’ve ever given or received?
My KitchenAid stand mixer from my dad. It is the present that keeps on giving and something to cherish for life.
What’s your failsafe gift idea?
I try more and more to keep things homemade when it comes to gifts. I often make big batches of my maple granola, chocolate spelt shortbread and brown butter blondies. Although, if I had to pick just one, blondies for the win! You just can’t beat brown butter!
brown butter blondies
Nina ParkerHow do you treat yourself?
I bake all the time during this period and so I always invest in some Pumpstreet Bakery chocolate. They offer some of the best quality chocolate made in the UK.
What’s on the menu this Christmas?
My mum is Polish so we always celebrate on Christmas Eve and eat barszcz (beet soup) for starter, roast salmon with potato salad for main and finish with a dark chocolate walnut cake. This year, I’m also keen to trial out a nut roast with an onion merlot gravy.
barszcz (beet soup)
Nina ParkerWhat recipe from your new book would work well for the festive period?
I would say that my Asian Inspired Chilli Oil from Saucy would be a great thing to make for presents as it goes with everything. It’s perfect to vamp up any kind of Christmas leftovers that you have lying around. I will certainly be making it for my relatives.
Nina Parker is a London-based chef, writer and director of her own food company, ‘NINA’. Her new book Saucy is available on November 18.
