Stuart Muir is Executive Chef at Edinburgh’s newest dining destination, Dine with Stuart Muir. As the youngest Scottish chef ever to be awarded a Michelin star and three AA rosettes, Stuart has led a distinguished culinary career including positions at landmark Scottish venues Knockinaam Lodge, The Balmoral Hotel, Malmaison Hotel and The Old Course Hotel, St Andrews as well as tours in Canada and France. Firmly etching his name in Scottish gastronomy was 13 years at the helm of Harvey Nicols’ award-winning Forth Floor restaurant, bar and brasserie.

Recognised as one of the country’s most established chefs, Stuart has spent his career dedicated to producing exciting dishes from the very best of locally sourced produce, culminating in his most anticipated venture Dine by Stuart Muir.

I'm planning a Christmas meal and want to offer a couple of unusual twists. What would you suggest?
A great place to start is to surprise with sides. There’s no Christmas dinner without Brussels and the perfect accompaniment to your show-stopping turkey are gently roasted Brussels sprouts in sage and onion butter, sprinkled with garlic crisps for extra punch. For dessert, keep it mouth-wateringly simple with Pain per du with cinnamon and turn Christmas pudding on its head with Christmas pudding ice cream served with whisky prunes.

It's Boxing Day and I've got half a turkey uneaten. Any recommendations for some legendary leftovers?
Pull the turkey meat, mix with Cajun spice and make a Stromboli to die for. Leftover sprouts make bubble and squeak that just gets better and better.

Which dishes on your Christmas/December menu do you most like cooking?
I look forward to this season every year if only for cooking with partridge – it's my favourite game.

Least?
Are you joking? Food is my life.

What do you reckon is the most undervalued ingredient in the seasonal/Christmas repertoire?
I think I may have already given the game away on this one… the sprout! And cranberries. Both are completely taken for granted and can be made more interesting with just a little love and imagination.

I fancy making a food item for presents at Christmas. Any suggestions?
Cranberry chutney is a favourite at home and jars up as a thoughtful homemade gift. Friends and family will appreciate the effort and it's delicious, especially enjoyed with good cheese.

Which new kitchen gadget would you most like to find in your stocking? And which food item?
I like to keep it simple so gadgets aren’t particularly important to me. But, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without a Toblerone.