Hosting – Culinary Travels

The Modern Holiday Recipe Series: Chef Emily Butcher’s Christmas Eve Fish

9 December 2025

For this series, we asked four renowned chefs share their favourite hosting tips and the non-traditional recipes they cook for gatherings. Here, Winnipeg-based chef Emily Butcher shares her recipe for the whole steamed fish she loves to share with her family on Christmas Eve.

Winnipeg-based Emily Butcher, chef-owner of Nola, approaches the holidays with creativity and a sense of fun. Her culinary philosophy celebrates local ingredients with global influences, which carries through to her festive table.

“Christmas Eve is always a family day for us—usually busy preparing the house for guests, decorating, wrapping presents, and getting ready for Christmas dinner. With all the running around, my parents and I like to do a whole steamed fish for Christmas Eve dinner. It’s quick to prepare, delicious, comforting, and contrasts with all the rich food we’ll be indulging in for the next few days,” she says.

Her mom’s Hong Kong roots influence the tradition. “There is always great fanfare around the serving of the whole fish. It represents prosperity and harmony. We were always careful to eat the top fillet and then carefully remove the spine because there’s a superstition that flipping the fish would make the fishermen’s boat capsize.”

The following days bring their own favourite tradition: “The roast turkey sandwiches with all the fixings on Boxing Day are the highlight for me. Dripping with gravy and cranberry sauce, served on thick-cut toasted sourdough, and so tall that you inevitably have to pull out a knife and fork.”

Hosting Tip: “Always give yourself a quiet moment before your guests arrive to have a shower, a cup of coffee, and a breath of fresh air. Dividing the work with your partner is also super helpful—leave the table setting or drink preparations up to someone else.”

Recipe: Whole Steamed Fish

By Chef Emily Butcher

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 whole fish (tilapia works well, red snapper is also good)
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 knob fresh ginger, julienned
1 clove garlic, julienned
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp white pepper
Fresh cilantro and pickled chili, for garnish

Method
Rinse fish and trim fins. Place fish on a heatproof plate that fits in a large steamer.

Set up a steamer. Once boiling, carefully place the fish plate inside. Steam for 8 to 10 minutes, until cooked through.

While the fish is steaming, heat canola oil in a small pan. Add ginger and garlic, cooking until aromatic and just golden. Add sesame oil and heat briefly.

Toss in green onions, soy sauce, sugar and white pepper. Whisk until sugar dissolves.

Transfer fish to a serving platter. Spoon a little of the steaming liquid over top. Pour ginger sauce over fish and garnish with cilantro (and pickled chili, for added heat).

Serve with jasmine rice and steamed gai lan tossed with minced garlic and oyster sauce.

The Modern Holiday Recipe Series: Chef Luigi de Guzman’s Crispy Roasted Lechon

9 December 2025

For this series, we asked four renowned chefs share their favourite hosting tips and the non-traditional recipes they cook for gatherings with their loved ones. Here, Toronto-based chef Luigi de Guzman shares his recipe for crispy roasted lechon belly.

At the W Toronto, executive chef Luigi de Guzman infuses the city’s multicultural energy into bold, expressive menus. At home during the holidays, he turns to a dish from his Filipino heritage: lechon.

“Food has always been at the heart of Filipino celebrations, and with a biracial family, sharing that tradition with my kids matters deeply to me,” he says. “One that always feels special is lechon, a beloved roasted pork dish. Of course, I’ve had to adapt the classic recipe for our home kitchen; we can’t exactly roast a whole pig outside in the middle of winter. My version is a lechon belly, which is similar to Italian porchetta but with a crispier crackling and unmistakable flavours of Filipino spices.”

Holiday traditions for de Guzman are steeped in sweet memories. “As the oldest, it was my job on Christmas Eve to help my Lola [grandmother] mix the sweet sticky rice, stirring nonstop until she finally gave me the nod to rest. It was very tiring, but the reward was always worth it: a pot of rich hot cocoa simmering on the stove. It was the one day my sister and I were allowed to drink as much as we wanted. Now, as a father of two toddlers, my wife and I keep that cocoa tradition alive.”

That simple ritual informs how he hosts today. “The holidays should always have a thread of comfort woven through them,” he says. “It doesn’t have to be about perfection. It’s about creating a moment where food and family connect.”

Recipe: Crispy Roasted Lechon Belly

By Chef Luigi de Guzman

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

5½ lb (2.5 kg) pork belly, skin on
4 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground star anise
5 stalks lemongrass, bruised
1 bunch green onions

Method
Prick pork belly skin all over with a fork or paring knife. Rub 2 tsp salt onto the skin. Place uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours to dry.

Mix remaining 2 tsp salt with pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and star anise. Rub over the meat side of the pork belly.

Lay lemongrass and green onions along the centre. Roll belly tightly and secure with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals. Pat skin dry.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Place pork seam side down on a rack in a roasting pan. Add water beneath rack to steam. Cover with foil and roast for 2 hours.

Raise oven temperature to 350°F. Remove foil. Roast 2 more hours, basting halfway through.

Increase oven to 450°F. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until skin is golden and crispy.

Rest 20 minutes before slicing. Serve with soy-vinegar dip with chillies and diced red onion.

The Modern Holiday Recipe Series: Chef Nuit Regular’s Yum Kanom Jin

25 November 2025

For this series, we asked four renowned chefs share their favourite hosting tips and the non-traditional recipes they cook for gatherings with their loved ones. Here, Toronto-based chef Nuit Regular shares her recipe for Yum Kanom Jin (Rice Vermicelli Noodle Salad).

Toronto-based chef Nuit Regular, the force behind restaurants like Kiin and Pai, is known for bringing the heart of northern Thai cooking to Canadian tables. For the holidays, she leans into that heritage while making entertaining easy and joyful.

“I love to make Yum Kanom Jeen for the holidays, which is a Thai noodle salad,” she says. “I prepare everything in advance and just assemble the day of. It’s an easy dish to make for gatherings while showcasing my Thai heritage at the same time.”

Regular explains that holiday cooking for her is about connecting to her roots while creating a relaxed space for friends and family.

“We have a tradition every Christmas of getting together with my husband Jeff’s high school friends. They were so warm and welcoming when I came to Canada. We do a potluck, deciding in advance who will bring what. Because everyone is so busy, it’s wonderful to meet once a year to catch up. It’s all about enjoying each other’s company and great food.”

Hosting Tip: “Prep as much as you can in advance. On the day of, you’ll be busy and want to spend time with your family or guests. I love just reheating and assembling before the gathering. Braised meats or curries are perfect—they taste even better the next day!”

Recipe: Yum Kanom Jin (Rice Vermicelli Noodle Salad)

By Chef Nuit Regular

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 package (300 g) dried rice vermicelli noodles
¼ cup water
1 tsp salt
1 lb (450 g) ground pork
⅓ cup sunflower oil
¼ cup Thai garlic
cloves, unpeeled (or peeled regular garlic, finely minced)
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ cup fish sauce
1 Tbsp cane sugar
1 Tbsp chilli powder (or 1½ tsp for milder flavour)
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, finely chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Method
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a saucepan over high heat, bring water and salt to a boil. Add ground pork and cook, stirring, until no longer pink. Drain and set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat, heat sunflower oil. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Stir in fish sauce and sugar until dissolved. Add lime juice and chilli powder, mix well.

Add noodles and pork, toss to combine. Top with cilantro and green onions. Serve immediately.

Excerpted from Kiin by Nuit Regular. Copyright © 2020 by Nuit Regular. Photography copyright © 2020 by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott. Published by Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.