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Simple festive fare

By Lauraine JacobsLauraine Jacobs | Published on December 10, 2011 | Issue 3735

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Lauraine Jacobs prepares a Christmas menu with – gasp – no turkey, but which can be cooked ahead of time for quick assembly on the day.

Photo Elizabeth Clarkson/styling Kate Artbuthnot

Planning the family Christmas menu a few weeks ahead of the big day seems like a grand idea. Share the workload, get well organised with food and drink, and a relaxing and happy time will be enjoyed by all, with angst, argument and apprehension avoided. This year I have banished the turkey, with all the last-minute work that’s involved with gravy, stuffings, sauces, carving and more. We will be celebrating Christmas with a Kiwi-style summer menu that’s distinctly in tune with the wonderful warm weather everyone is hoping for. My plan is seven recipes to be shared among the cooks in the family. Each dish is easily portable and all can be cooked ahead.

It’s always a time for a little indulgence, so I like to start the meal with a seafood salad. The great thing about this mixture of prawns, scallops, crayfish and mussels is that you can choose whatever seafood you love best. A small crayfish tail, although quite pricey, can be sliced thinly so everyone gets a taste. The less-expensive prawns and mussels can provide the bulk of the salad. It can all be prepared and cooked the night before Christmas and each of the shellfish kept carefully refrigerated separately before being assembled and served on a large platter with plenty of lettuce and watercress.

I love the idea of a festive grazing buffet with two choices of protein. This year a juicy roast of beef sirloin and a spicy side of fresh salmon will be complemented by minty new potatoes and a couple of colourful Christmas-like vegetable dishes. Even the vegetarians in the family will be kept happy with these tempting salads. To finish on a sweet note, I am sharing an all-time family favourite, my mother’s recipe for chocolate ­soufflé log. Decorated with fresh berries and served with ice cream for the kids, it is festive, simple and wonderful for preparing ahead. All these dishes are more than generous for 12 people, but they can be scaled up or down, depending on the numbers in your crowd.

CHRISTMAS SEAFOOD SALAD

  • 1 medium cooked crayfish
  • 400g fresh scallops
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil
  • 1kg small mussels, scrubbed
  • 500g prawns
  • 1 buttercrunch lettuce
  • 1 large bunch watercress, picked over and stalks removed
  • VINAIGRETTE
  • 2 lemons, juice and zest
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • small bunch of chervil

To prepare the crayfish, pull the tail from the body by twisting it, and remove the meat from the shell and legs. Cut into neat chunks or slices. Put this meat aside. Keep the head and shell for another use such as a crayfish stock for risotto. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and sear in a little heated olive oil in a heavy pan so the meat just sets. Heat about a cup of water in a deep saucepan, then add the mussels and simmer until they open. Reserve the juices in a bowl. Open the mussels, remove the beard and dark foot from each one and place immediately in the juices so the mussels remain plump and juicy. Discard the shells. Heat a little more olive oil in another frying pan and sauté the prawns for 2-3 minutes until pink and opaque. Keep aside. When ready to assemble the salad, arrange the washed and dried lettuce leaves on the platter. Gently toss the crayfish, scallops, drained mussels and prawns together. Place on the platter with the watercress. Combine the vinaigrette ingredients and pour over the top. Decorate with chervil leaves. Serves 12 as a starter. Wine match: champagne.

ROASTED STUFFED SCOTCH FILLET OF BEEF

  • 2kg piece of scotch fillet
  • 1 roasted red capsicum, cut into strips
  • 6 anchovies (or 2 tbsp anchovy paste)
  • 12 thin slices bacon

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cut down halfway into the length of the fillet and stuff the centre with capsicum and anchovies. Push the meat together again and wrap the entire length with bacon. Roast the fillet in the oven for 55 minutes to an hour, depending on the thickness of the meat. (If using a barbecue, preheat it, and turn off one of the burners and cook the meat so it is positioned over the extinguished burner with the hood closed. That way it will cook gently and not flare up or burn.) Remove the meat from the oven and allow it to rest, covered, for 20 minutes so the juices are reabsorbed. Carve in neat slices. Serves 12 or more. Wine match: pinot noir

GRILLED SPICY SALMON

  • 1 side of fresh salmon (about 1.5kg)
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 small shallots, chopped
  • 2 stems lemongrass, chopped
  • 1 fresh red chilli, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tbsp turmeric powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce (nuocmam)
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • ½ cup coriander leaves, chopped
  • 4 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts

Remove the pin bones from the salmon using tweezers (the bones run down the upper half of the fish, and can be felt by running your thumb lightly over the middle). Set the salmon aside while you make the marinade. Pound the garlic, shallots, lemongrass, chilli, turmeric, salt, fish sauce and sesame oil with a mortar and pestle or in a food processor to form a paste. Place the salmon skin-side down, and spread the paste over the surface. Leave for an hour or so to infuse. Preheat the grill until very hot, then place the salmon under it until cooked through and golden – 10-12 minutes. Garnish with coriander and peanuts, and serve on a large platter with a green salad. Serves 12 or more. Wine match: riesling.

BABY STEAMED POTATOES WITH MINT BUTTER

  • 1.5kg baby potatoes (I use washed perla)
  • 100g butter
  • ½ cup fresh mint, finely chopped
  • salt and freshly ground pepper

Cover the potatoes with salted water and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender (about 18-20 minutes), then drain and place in a serving bowl. Melt the butter, then pour over the potatoes, adding the mint and a little extra salt and pepper. Serves 12.

GREEN CHRISTMAS SALAD

  • 500g beans
  • 1kg frozen peas
  • 500g asparagus
  • baby courgettes
  • 1 cup italian parsley leaves
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 100g fresh white cheese (a crumbly feta, or I used Whangaripo Buffalo Fresca)
  • freshly ground black pepper

Trim the beans and cook in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes, so they are tender but still retain their bright colour. Refresh under cold water and drain well. Bring another pan of salted water to the boil and cook the peas for 2 minutes. Drain and keep aside. Trim the asparagus and cook in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, so the spears are tender but still retain their bright colour. Refresh under cold water and drain well. Trim the courgettes and cut in half lengthwise. Brush with a little olive oil and fry gently in a pan or on a grill until tender and golden. To assemble the salad, toss all the vege­tables and parsley leaves together on a large serving plate. Drizzle the olive oil over the top. Top with crumbled cheese, then grind black pepper over it. Serves 12.

RED CHRISTMAS SALAD

  • 3 red capsicums, seeds, stalks and membranes removed, then cut into wedges
  • 3 small red onions, cut into wedges
  • 4 medium beetroot
  • 20 baby carrots, peeled
  • 2 large acid-free tomatoes
  • small punnet cherry tomatoes
  • a handful fresh basil leaves for garnish
  • DRESSING
  • juice of 1 orange
  • 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 1 tbsp runny honey
  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 180°C and roast the capsicum and onion wedges until soft and mellow – about 25 minutes. Set aside. To prepare the beetroot, boil in water for about 40 minutes until tender, then cool and remove the skins. Cut into rough chunks. To prepare the carrots, cook in salted water with a pinch of sugar for about 10 minutes until soft but not mushy. Keep aside. Wash the tomatoes well and cut into neat chunks. Shake the dressing ingredients in a small screwtop jar until well mixed. Place the vegetables on a large white platter, and drizzle with dressing. Garnish with a few torn basil leaves and serve at room temperature. Serves 10-12.

CHRISTMAS CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE LOG

  • 6 eggs
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • pinch vanilla essence
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • 2 tbsp cocoa
  • pinch of salt
  • ICING
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp cocoa
  • ½ cup icing sugar
  • 2 tbsp boiling water
  • FILLING
  • 3 tbsp raspberry jam
  • 300ml whipped cream
  • 1 punnet each of strawberries and blueberries
  • 3 tbsp toasted almond slivers

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Prepare a 24x36cm baking tray by lining with baking paper. Separate the egg whites and yolks into 2 large bowls. Beat the yolks with the sugar and vanilla until light and creamy. Sift the cornflour, cocoa and a pinch of salt together, then gently fold into the egg yolk mixture. Beat the whites until stiff, then carefully fold into the yolk mixture, ensuring no volume is lost. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake for 15 minutes or until the soufflé is light and firm to touch. While it’s still hot, turn the soufflé onto a clean tea towel, remove the paper and roll up. To finish, make the icing by melting the butter in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and beat in the cocoa and icing sugar. Add just enough boiling water to make a thick but spreadable icing. Unroll the chocolate soufflé, and spread the jam over the surface. Spread the cream evenly on top and roll up. Place on a long serving platter, then spread with the hot icing. Decorate with berries and almonds. Serves 12 with extra berries and ice cream.