Looking for a great supermarket champagne? Need an easy recipe to take to a party? Or just some really good cheese… Yotam Ottolenghi, Giorgio Locatelli, Ixta Belfrage and others reveal the best snacks, drinks and desserts to make and buy for the big dayThe Guardian’s journalism is independent,We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link,Learn more,Christmas is a time of overwhelming choice, especially when it comes to food,So, to help you navigate the festive feasting, we asked 16 top chefs and cooks to tell us what they buy or make to give to the people brave enough to invite them over.

The Guardian’s journalism is independent.We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.Learn more.Reassuringly, it turns out that even the most decorated chefs love a Ferrero Rocher, a nice glass of sherry, a good mince pie and a decent cheeseboard at this time of year.And everyone is attached to their own traditions, whether that’s the apple tart Matthew Ryle’s family loves in place of Christmas pudding, the hot chocolate-and marshmallow kit Yotam Ottolenghi’s kids can never resist, or Sabrina Ghayour’s favourite truffle-infused cheddar.

Giorgio Locatelli“From a very young age, I helped out in my family’s restaurant in Lombardy every Christmas Day,” says Giorgio Locatelli.“And when we finished at five o’clock in the afternoon, everyone would go to the local pastry shop, because it was the biggest place and we would all have a meal there.” There was always smoked salmon.Today, if Locatelli is asked to bring food to a Christmas gathering, he takes salmon made by the Smokin’ Brothers (£8.90, smokin-brothers.

com).“It is unbelievably good – the three brothers are very careful about sourcing quality fish.” He likes to serve it with Russian salad.“In Italy, smoked salmon without Russian salad wasn’t Christmas.” His base ingredients are always cooked potatoes, peas and carrots dressed in mayo.

“But it’s versatile: you can add chicken, you can make it with pumpkin, you can make it vegan.I like to drain large gherkins to get rid of the vinegar, and then dice them into it.” He would never go to someone’s house without a bottle of his own olive oil (£25 for 500ml, shop.nationalgallery.org.

uk) for the host.“Olive oil is such a good present, because it lasts.When they’re using it in February, they will remember you.”Giorgio Locatelli’s new restaurant is at the National Gallery in LondonJosé Pizarro“It is my tradition to take a whole leg of jamon to my mum’s house,” says chef José Pizarro, who grew up in Extremadura, Spain.“My mum is 92 and she has a slice of jamon every day.

A leg weighs about 8kg, and in five days, between the 13 of us, it will be gone.” It’s £690.50 for a whole leg (£26.50 for 70g, shop.josepizarro.

com); try Waitrose’s Jamon Iberico de Bellota (£14.55 for 100g, waitrose.com) for a budget option.“Another thing I always, always take to Christmas,” says Pizarro, “is sherry.As an aperitif I love, Tio Pepe fino (£12.

75, thewhiskyexchange.com), or for something a little more expensive, Valdespino Inocente (£20.95, leaandsandeman.co.uk), which is also a fino and is aged for 10 years under a layer of yeast called flor, so it’s very dry.

And then I love Matusalem (£28.95, thewhiskyexchange.com), which is a blend of pedro ximénez sherry and oloroso.Since it is sweet and nutty, it goes very well with turrón, a Spanish version of nougat made with almonds (£9.25 for 125g, brindisa.

com).”Jose Pizarro’s latest restaurant is Lolo in London SE1Yotam Ottolenghi“It’s helpful to have easy-to-rustle-up snacks and treats over the holidays that still feel special,” says Yotam Ottolenghi.“For a quick canape, I brush cocktail sausages with my sticky date and tamarind sauce (£4.75, ottolenghi.co.

uk),It makes them glossy and tangy,I always make a big batch of spiced nuts: 100g cashews, 100g macadamias, 120g pecans, 60g skin-on almonds and 80g pumpkin seeds roasted at 170C (150F fan)/325F/gas 3 for 15 minutes with a tablespoon of sunflower seeds, two of nigella seeds, three of sunflower oil, two of honey, a teaspoon of fine salt and the leaves from two sprigs of rosemary,After cooking, when they’re cool, stir in two teaspoons each of coarsely ground pepper and cayenne,”Cheese is non-negotiable for Ottolenghi.

“I love lingering around the cave at La Fromagerie in London; there are few places that make you feel more festive.Where do I start? Colston Bassett stilton, Comté D’estive, Ticklemore, Pecorino Sardo (from £14.30 for 250g, lafromagerie.co.uk).

“On drinks, my sons make a beeline for hot chocolate with marshmallows that we sell in tubs at our delis (£59, ottolenghi.co.uk – the set includes hot chocolate and marshmallows, cinnamon bun cookies and a reusable cup).While they’re busy with that, I’ll be experimenting with a cocktail from Alice Lascelles’ book The Cocktail Edit (£18.98, Quadrille) – her recipes have just the right mix of classic and playful.

Once I have had my fill, a glass of Botivo (£27.50, widely available) and soda with a wheel of orange is there for a non-alcoholic moment.”Julie Lin“I like to take something people will use,” says Scottish-Malaysian chef Julie Lin.“I’ve been making a dry turkey brine mix to give to friends in advance: three tablespoons of salt, one tablespoon of MSG, one tablespoon of sugar, one tablespoon of black pepper, one teaspoon of garlic powder, one teaspoon of onion powder, a sprig of rosemary, chopped finely, and one teaspoon of smoked paprika.Then I put it in little jars with instructions for how to use it: pat the turkey dry, rub the brine under the skin and over the entire bird, including the cavity (you may not need it all).

Set it on a rack and refrigerate, uncovered for 24–48 hours.(Do not rinse.) Then roast.Salt and MSG penetrate deeply, boosting moisture and flavour while the uncovered chill dries the skin for superior crispness.”Lin also makes Sichuan pepper chocolate truffles: tweak your favourite recipe by stirring in one teaspoon of finely ground Sichuan pepper and a pinch of salt while the mixture is still liquid.

Allow to cool until just firm, then use a small spoon to scoop out bitesize servings of the ganache.Working quickly, shape into balls then roll in cocoa powder, chocolate flakes or toasted sesame.Chill.“Pop them in a tin and it’s a lovely gift to arrive with.”To drink, Lin is all about whisky and beer.

“Much of the Scottish whisky industry is made up of men saying you must drink your fiery drams straight, but I’ve been giving friends whisky from Fettercairn (£52, fettercairnwhisky.com), which is delicious and not horribly peaty.I created a tamarind and lemongrass sour with Drygate in Glasgow, called Sama Sama (£2.50 for 330ml, drygate.com).

”Sama Sama: Comfort Food from My Malaysian-Scottish Kitchen by Julie Lin is out nowSabrina Ghayour“I like giving panettone, but making them from scratch is hell in a hand basket – I did it once and never again,” says chef Sabrina Ghayour.“I usually buy pandoro (Muzzi, £30.99, souschef.co.uk), which don’t contain candied fruit – not everyone likes it – and, like panettone, they’re great because they last for ages and don’t steal the limelight if someone has made a wonderful cake or pudding.

As a chef, the last thing I want to do is arrive with something that outshines anything else.I always turn up with champagne, cheese and Peter’s Yard charcoal or fig crackers (from £2, widely available).I used to bring Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne back from France, but now you can get it in Sainsbury’s for £29.50 – a really good price.If you want to spend a bit more, go for Billecart-Salmon le Rosé champagne (£75, majestic.

co.uk).I never used to like blue cheeses much, but now I’m addicted to Colston Bassett’s blues (from £4, widely available), and I bloody love Godminster cheeses, both the normal cheddar and their black truffle cheddar (from £7, widely available).I usually veto anything with truffle added to it, but this is like crack.”Sabrina Ghayour’s latest book is Persiana EasyGeorgie Mullen“I like to give people things they can eat pretty much immediately,” says Georgie Mullen.

“ I do a pomegranate and blood orange trifle with a white chocolate custard: the colours are beautiful so it looks gorgeous, but it’s super easy because I use shop-bought custard.At Christmas, especially if you’re making something as a gesture for someone else, you don’t want to cause yourself too much faff.”First, make the jelly by boiling together 710ml pomegranate juice, two tablespoons of caster sugar, the juice of half a lemon and 12g (two sachets) of Vege-Gel.Remove from the heat and cool for 15 minutes.Slice 400g madeira cake into thin pieces, then brush with 35ml Cointreau.

Use the cake to line a glass bowl big enough for the whole trifle and pour over any remaining Cointreau,Peel and slice four blood oranges, removing any pips,Arrange the slices against the glass above the cake; any that don’t fit around the sides can lay on top of the cake,Ladle the jelly over, letting it come up around the sides of the orange slices,Set in the fridge for three to four hours.

Combine 750ml good-quality custard with 300g melted white chocolate then pour it over the jelly and smooth over the top.Return to the fridge for at least an hour, or until serving.When ready to serve, whip 500ml of double cream into soft peaks.Spread roughly over the custard and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and a small handful of chopped pistachio.If she’s not cooking, Mullen pairs drinks with food as Christmas contributions, such as 10-year-old tawny port (from £25, widely available) with good-quality dark chocolate