There are few things I look forward to more each year than an excellent Christmas lunch. In fact, I deliberately avoid roast dinners in the run-up to the big day. Especially obligatory work parties, where the turkey inevitably resembles sawdust and the stuffing has the texture of a silicone implant. Call me a snob if you like.

It is estimated that a typical Christmas lunch plate alone can clock in at at least 1,200 calories. Add a couple of glasses of bubbly and a slice of Christmas pudding with brandy butter or double cream, and you could be edging closer to, or even exceeding, 2,000. That is nearly as much as the recommended daily caloric limit for adults.

But Christmas lunch is meant to be enjoyed. And if you are going to splurge on calories, it should be on the very best food you can manage. Ideally, something that even nudges its way into the “health food” category, whatever that really means.

So let’s look at how to pack maximum flavour, pleasure and a little nutritional virtue onto your Christmas plate.

I am just going to say it. I hate turkey. Or at least I hate it on Christmas Day. When smothered in cranberry sauce, sage and onions, turkey becomes largely redundant, since it tastes of very little. Cold turkey the next day is a far better deal.

Goose and duck have been our Christmas centrepieces for the last ten years. They are easier to cook, far less prone to drying out and come with a generous side benefit: the fat.........

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