6 minute read
home to the outside world and a host of alfresco options HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Outstanding produce, smart prep
from Gsv. aavha
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home for The secret to being in the moment and savouring a relaxed Christmas Day with your family is a smart strategy of crack pre-planning and clever prep ideas from the pros. Oh, and a superstar glazed ham!
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Christmas
Annika Kaban’s Christmas traditions are a self-confessed ‘mixed bag’, with every second year spent with husband Tom’s family in Adelaide, a plane ride away. “We almost always pay extra for luggage for the presents!” she says. Alternate years are spent in Sydney with Annika’s family, where her Italian mum serves lasagna or pasta over baked ham and sends everyone off for a snooze. Her Ukrainian father follows the Julian calendar for an Orthodox Christmas on January 7, filled with dumplings, borscht and stuffed cabbage. This year will be Annika and Tom’s first in their new home, and they’re looking forward to opening presents with sons Henry and Archer. “To see the joy on their faces will be priceless. At such a tough time in our lives, simple pleasures mean the world!”
SPICED PINEAPPLE, GINGER AND HONEY GLAZED HAM WITH PINEAPPLE RELISH
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The plan for this festive menu was to make everything delicious but stress-free. So we called in food stylist Steve Pearce and recipe writer Jessica Brook from Sage Creative Co to share their secrets for a lovely, lazy Christmas meal. “Some salads just get better with age,” says Jessica of the supplementary offerings they came up with. “Potato salad always tastes best when it’s had time to sit in its dressing, so this is perfect to make a day ahead of time. And always peel the skin to allow the dressing to flavour the flesh. “The bread and heirloom tomato salad also gets better the longer the ingredients have had time to sit,” she continues. “In-season tomatoes and the chargrilled bread soak up vinegar and dressings, and taste better after marinating. I like to chargrill the bread a few days in advance and keep up to a week wrapped in cling film. On the day, you simply add the burrata and spoon over the oil. “A glazed ham is a great carve-as-you-sit option. The glaze can be made up to a week in advance, using really simple ingredients that you can reduce down into a stunning glaze. This particular ham cooks flesh-side down, which creates a self-glaze cooking process. And I would recommend you glaze the ham a day ahead, then reheat any additional glaze in a small saucepan over a low heat to serve.” “And a no-stress dessert is essential,” adds Steve. “Pavlova is a show-stopper and perfect to make a couple of days ahead, as you need time for it to cool slowly in an oven, drying the shell to crispness, leaving you free to throw on easy storebought toppings as you serve.”
THIS PAGE Norway Spruce wreath, $14.80, Koch & Co. Inset Dad Tom serves up Christmas lunch to wife Annika and sons Henry, six, and Archer, four. OPPOSITE Aquitaine platter, $49.95, and Whitehaven salad servers in White, $49.95, Provincial Home Living. Oval spice dish in Ghost Gum, $19.95, and peasant plate in Ghost Gum, $49.50, Batch Ceramics. Glass flutes, $59 for two, Maison Balzac. Linen tablecloth in White, $145, and linen napkins in Sage, $50 for four, Cultiver. Anne Black matte porcelain Christmas baubles in Grey and White, $13 and $20, Elevate Design. Standing Christmas tree ornaments in Off-White with Silver (24cm), $35, and Forest Green (15cm), $19 each, and White Paper Onion ornament, $10, Nordic Rooms. Star garland, stylist’s own. Wrap and ribbon throughout, Vandoros Fine Packaging. CLOTHING The family’s own, except Henry’s linen shirt in Khaki Green, $54.95, Country Road.
BREAD AND HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD WITH SUMMER HERB DRESSING AND BURRATA
THIS PAGE Peasant plate in Slate (top left), $49.50, Batch Ceramics. Paris platter in Milk, $294, Mud Australia. Laguiole ‘Jean Dubost’ stainless-steel carving set, $130, Williams Sonoma. Scullery board in Natural, $34.95, Provincial Home Living. Anne Black oval plates in White, $46 each, and hanging bird ornament, $25, Elevate Design. Nolan cutlery, $109 for 16-piece set, and Cola tumblers in Faded Moss, $12.95 each, Country Road. Coucou carafe, $129, and wine glasses, $79 for two, Maison Balzac. White scallop plate, stylist’s own. Ham, Otway Pork. OPPOSITE Large plate in White Beach Sand, $110, Tara Dennis Store. Perrier-Jouet Blanc de Blancs Champagne, $139.99, Dan Murphy’s. Star garland, stylist’s own. All other items, as before.
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SERVES 4
2kg chat potatoes 200ml tub crème fraîche 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp honey 2 tbsp mayonnaise 200g mixed radishes, trimmed and halved 1 bunch yellow beetroot, trimmed and scrubbed 2 tbsp white-wine vinegar 2 finger limes, pearls separated 2 tbsp chopped chives Edible flowers, to serve
1 Place the potatoes in a large saucepan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil and cook for 8 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside to cool slightly. Peel and halve the potatoes and place in a large bowl. 2 While the potatoes are cooking, whisk together the crème fraîche, mustard, lemon rind, lemon juice, honey and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper. Pour half the dressing over the warm potatoes, add the radishes and gently toss. Refrigerate until cold. 3 Thinly slice the beetroot using a mandolin. Place in a bowl with the vinegar and toss to combine. Set aside to pickle for 10 minutes. 4 To serve, toss the potatoes and radishes with the remaining dressing. Top with beetroot, chives, finger lime pearls and flowers. TIME-SAVING TIP You can boil the potatoes and toss them in the dressing a day in advance.
POTATO SALAD WITH CRÈME FRAICHE, YELLOW BEETROOT, HERBS AND FINGER LIMES
SERVES 10—12
2 cups (500ml) pineapple juice 1 cup (250ml) ginger ale 1 cup (250ml) spiced rum ¼ cup (60ml) soy sauce 100g ginger, sliced 1 star anise 1 cinnamon quill 1 tbsp fennel seeds 1 tbsp Chinese five spice 2 whole dried chillies 1 cup (220g) firmly packed brown sugar ½ cup (180g) ginger marmalade* 1 x 8kg whole leg ham (we used one from Otway Pork) 2 small pineapples, quartered lengthwise ¼ cup (60ml) apple cider vinegar 2 star anise, extra 2 cinnamon quill, extra
1 To make the glaze, place the pineapple juice, ginger ale, soy sauce, spiced rum, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, fennel seeds, Chinese five spice, dried chilli, brown sugar and ginger marmalade in a large saucepan over a high heat. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes. 2 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced). Use a sharp knife to score the skin around the sides and hock of the ham, before using your fingers to gently remove the rind. Trim any excess fat. Wrap the ham hock in non-stick baking paper, then aluminium foil. Pour ¾ of the glaze in the base of a deep roasting tray. Place the ham, top-side down, in a large deep-sided roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes. Turn and roast, basting every 10 minutes with the glaze, for a further 20 minutes or until the ham is golden and sticky. 3 Place the pineapple, remaining glaze, vinegar, extra star anise and cinnamon in a deep-sided roasting tray and cook for 30 minutes, turning half way, or until golden and caramelised. 4 Serve the ham sliced with glaze and pineapple. TIME-SAVING TIP You can glaze the ham and cook the pineapple a day ahead and serve cold. *Ginger marmalade is available from supermarkets. You can use orange marmalade as a substitute.
