Food
Unconventional Xmas Dinner Accompaniments Marinated Lamb Chops
Over the years I’ve come to realise that there is no such thing as a ‘Classic’
Christmas dinner. What I mean by this is that every family tends to have something a little different at the dinner table. Given my name, you’d be forgiven for assuming I’m Asian, more specifically sub-continental Asian, but you’d be right. We have a lot of classics on our table: cranberry sauce, glazed ham, roasties, brussel sprouts, gravy, and the undeniable king - stuffing (don’t @ me). One substitution we make is roast chicken in for turkey; we just don’t like it at all. The unusual appearance on our table is curry-marinated lamb chops. Yep. We have the salty glazed ham, the moist roast chicken and the exciting kick of spiced lamb chops. They just add something a little different to Christmas dinner and it gives a barbaric release from the knife-and-fork formality of it all. We trialled so many other meats, in fact going as far as having goose a few years ago, but lamb chops are an absolute winner. They’re like red meat chicken wings because you grip the bone, take a massive chunk out and there’s no way you don’t end up with a smear of marinade on your cheeks. It just lifts the dinner when you can have another option that isn’t flavoured with the classic thyme, rosemary and sage. It’s our subtle way of imparting our heritage and culture on a very Western tradition. WORDS BY PARTH GAUTAM
Hot Sauce
Frank’s hot sauce’s slogan of “I put that s*** on everything” is particularly apt given that for me, the Christmas table isn’t complete without it. Although I spare the turkey the honour (horror?) of being doused in hot sauce, the combination of potatoes with a little melted butter and kick of Frank’s is a favourite, and reminiscent of the sauce that Buffalo wings are usually tossed in. While Frank’s is a classic, Inferno hot sauce is a close second. My favourite is the Junior hot sauce, which is a little less tangy than Frank’s, but still has piquant haberno kick which is great for livening up vegetables like sprouts. If you’re feeling brave, you could sample Inferno’s Extreme Hot Sauce, or their Voodoo Reaper, although at 50% Carolina Reaper Chilli, this may not be one to try at home. Failing that, you could always opt for a Christmas day Bloody Mary with lashings of Tabasco and a sprinkle of paprika. WORDS BY GRACE GAGEBY
Getting into the Holiday Spirits Christmas is great but sometimes you need a boozy break.
WORDS BY PARTH GAUTAM ART BY MAEVE BREATHNACH
Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. Great food,
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being surrounded by friends and family, and made all the better with alcohol. Sometimes spending so much time at home with the family can cause a bit of wear and tear. The best way to mediate this is not measured discussion, but booze! Numb yourself to the embarrassment and distress of cringey dads, nagging mums and annoying siblings with these easy to make Christmas cocktails.
