Recipes for a Basque New Year’s Eve feast

Prawn croquetas, nougat cuajada and a showstopping fish stew – Sabor’s Michelin-starred chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho shows us how to celebrate the end of 2018 Spanish-style

For Nieves Barragán Mohacho, head chef and co-owner of Sabor in Mayfair, New Year’s Eve is a double celebration: it’s also her mother’s birthday. This year, her mum – who is also named Nieves – turns 80. Not that she is taking the day off. The elder Nieves has cooked on every New Year’s Eve since she was 14. “She can cook for her family, so for her, it’s so special.”

Barragán is from Santurtzi, a small fishing town near Bilbao. She moved to London 20 years ago to work at the French restaurant Simply Nico as a kitchen porter. Now, her own restaurant, Sabor, has a Michelin star. But she always returns home over Christmas.