One of my Christmas favourites is cranberry sauce – it’s part of the ritual of Christmas. You don’t have to buy it – it’s so easy to make and more delicious when you do it yourself. You can make it a week before and keep it in a jar in the fridge, but there’s something nice about making it on Christmas day with its festive scent. Here is my recipe for perfect, old-fashioned cranberry sauce.

Serves: 8-10. Prep: 15 min. Cooking: 15 min

Ingredients
1 orange
350g cranberries
175g caster sugar
A dash of port (optional)

Method
1. Zest the orange
2. Add the orange juice, zest, sugar and port to a pan
3. Cook over a medium to high heat until the sugar dissolves
4. Add the cranberries (fresh or frozen)
5. Cook for ten minutes until the berries have reduced

Marco Pierre White has joined us as a columnist from January 2014. The legendary British restauranteur, who is credited with pioneering the culture of celebrity chefs, will impart his signifiant expertise on us every month in our Eat section, delivering new recipes and insider knowledge on the latest food trends and talking points.

Marco, whose Wheeler’s in DIFC and new MPW Grill in the Conrad Hotel are among the most popular spots in Dubai, became the youngest and first British chef to be awarded three Michelin stars when he was just 33, and has been a leader in the field ever since. To say that we’re excited doesn’t quite cover it.

You can read Marco’s recipe for bread sauce, another Christmas favourite, by clicking here.