At the Table: Inigo and Plain English’s festive feast

With the dawn of December, party season is upon us. Shimmery frocks are dusted off, trousers are pressed, shoes are polished and there’s a festive frisson in the chilly air. The thrill was felt particularly keenly in east London’s Hoxton on 1 December, where happy souls gathered for a winter supper, hosted by Inigo and Plain English, the cabinetmaker and kitchen designer known for its refined, timeless craftsmanship and beloved by homeowners across the country.

Plain English has been a friend of Inigo’s from our earliest days – not least since its founders, Katie Fontana and Tony Niblock’s, dedication to traditional making and penchant for period references feel exactly in line with our own. When it came to deciding upon a venue for our soirée, we knew exactly where we should head: the spectacular blue kitchen and dining room redesigned by Plain English for the Museum of the Home, a set of 18^th-century almshouses that now serve as a living history of domesticity in this country. A more natural nor fitting choice couldn’t be found.

Having invited a band of merrymakers, the night was upon us. Kitten Grayson and her clever team decked the halls with scented seasonal greenery and clementines – all of which will either be reused or dried, for the florist’s celebrated ‘everlasting’ arrangements – and the perfume of citrus, spruce and eucalyptus soon filled the air. The table was laid, the candles were lit. Guests, upon arriving, were greeted with a glass of English sparkling, a sloe-gin cocktail or a non-alcoholic concoction the colour of cranberries – all the better for being boozeless – mixed up by J. Rivera.

While people mingled – Kentaro Poteliakhoff, about to celebrate the eighth anniversary of his shop, Rooms, revealed he’s as disorganised as the rest of us when it comes to buying presents (perhaps he needs our gift guide?); Austin Moro told us all about Moro Dabron’s recent candle collaboration with Jamb; East London Cloth’s Gemma Moulton regaled us with tales of her new shop – our chef, Hugo Harrison got to work with his team. Diligent to the last, he magicked up a beautifully researched menu for us inspired by the 18^th century, made using produce largely of Suffolk provenance: think potted pork with pickled prunes (try saying that ten times); pies with princely fillings; and a quince posset with madeleines – all finished by chestnut macarons.

But what’s a Georgian party without a parlour game? And so, to Quiz the Season, our after-dinner activity hosted by Almanac editor Grace McCloud, with a rollicking run of questions on architectural trifles, 18^th-century titbits and a dollop of kitchen trivia… Just like down your local, then. We were thrilled to crown interior designer Benedict Foley and Berdoulat’s Patrick Williams’ team the winners. Châpeau!

As the tapers burned down and the chatter quietened, it was time – sigh – to go home. Guests, wrapped up warm, said their farewells and disappeared into the night, with a party bag in hand – its surpassing element a pot of marmalade-style clementine jam, cooked up by Hugo and no doubt enjoyed over breakfast the next morning. Till next year, friends!

But before we go, we’d hate you think we’d just tease you with the details. Why don’t you give our quiz a crack over on Instagram? Alternatively, read on for Hugo’s marmalade recipe. We can confirm: it’s a preserve of uncommon perfection.

Clementine and fino jam (makes 7x 220g jars)

Published with thanks to Lillie O’Brien of London Borough of Jam’s ‘Five Seasons of Jam’.

Ingredients
1.5kg clementines or satsumas
Juice of 2 lemons
650ml water
700g caster sugar
200g green-apple stock jelly (recipe here)
100ml fino sherry

Method
Wash and peel the clementines or satsumas, reserving the peel from four of them. Break up all the segments. Cut each segment in half vertically, from top to bottom.

Slice the reserved peel into fine threads, put in a small saucepan and cover with 650ml water. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer for five minutes.

Once the rind it soft, add it and the cooking liquid to a heavy-based saucepan with the segmented fruit, lemon juice, water, sugar and jelly and slowly bring to the boil. Cook for 30-35 minutes, or until the jam reaches setting point (105°C on a sugar thermometer). Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the sherry – it will bubble and splatter. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before pouring into warm sterilised jars, sealing immediately. Store in a cool dark place.