Little Salmon Pots

Put the butter in a pan with the lemon zest and bay leaves. Heat until melted, then remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for 10min. Strain the butter through a fine sieve into a jug, discarding the white residue left in the sieve.

Remove the skin and any dark flesh from the hot-smoked salmon. Put in a bowl and break up roughly with a fork. Add the smoked salmon, dill and gherkins and mix together. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Divide the mixture among eight 150ml (5fl oz) ramekins, then put a sprig of dill on top. Pour over the cooled butter, giving each pot a small tap to help the butter spread through the salmon. Chill for 1hr until set.

Prepare ahead: Make the pots up to two days ahead and keep, covered, in the fridge. Remove from the fridge 15min before serving to come up to room temperature. Timesaver: If you don't want to make the salmon pots or prefer the pure simplicity of unadulterated salmon, here's a luxurious alternative to try… Salmon cured in dry salt, then smoked and cut from the top of the fish for the best, most tender flesh. Serve with a drizzle of lemon or warmed vodka and dill. Called the Russian Royal Fillet, it's pricey, but you'll probably never have tasted salmon so good. Serve with… Ciabatta toasts: Thinly slice a ciabatta on the diagonal and grill until golden and curling. Store for in an airtight container for up to two days. If you don't eat them all on Christmas Day, the toasts will keep for another five days in an airtight container.