Other than the traditional ham and turkey, what other dish or item do you have every year for your big Christmas meal? What do you look forward to indulging in food wise?
Hosting a big family Christmas this year and looking for inspiration from my Oz bargain community.
What’s Your Must Have Dish for Christmas Day?
Wasabi Ninja on 06/12/2021 - 01:09
Last edited 06/12/2021 - 01:09
Last edited 06/12/2021 - 01:09
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Roast or mashed potatoes. Screw the meat, just give me all the taters precious. If doing roast potatoes, make sure to par boil them and rough them up a little with a fork. And texture on them becomes delicious crunchiness.
If you're looking for a few ideas, I love a big pan of roast <whatever>. Very easy to mix together vegetables of choice by cutting into similar size, carrots, potatoes, parsnip, broccoli, even brussels sprouts and cover in a bit of olive oil and paprika, celery salt, italian herbs and rosemary. Carrots roasted alone with some cinnamon and salt are nicer, but it's easier to throw them all in at once.
Green beans, butter and panko bread crumbs work really well too as a side. Can wrap them in bunches in bacon with some sauce of some kind and bake too.
One thing I picked up from thanksgiving in north america, candied sweet potato (recipes will be called candied yams). Par boil, cover in spices/syrup and bake, tastes fantastic.
I'm always a fan of salads with a bit of fruit too. Basic rocket, parmesan and pear with a vinaigrette kind of thing. Or spinach, pine nut and cranberry.
Have a look at some American thanksgiving recipes. They turn every kind of vegetable into a completely unhealthy casserole with way too much cheese and carbs, it's fantastic.
"Roast or mashed potatoes. Screw the meat, just give me all the taters precious. If doing roast potatoes, make sure to par boil them and rough them up a little with a fork. And texture on them becomes delicious crunchiness"
pro tip; par boil them in boiling water from the start (as opposed to the normal method of cooking them in cold water from the start). This cooks the outside quickly (ie; makes soft), whilst leaving the center still hard and uncooked. so when you smash and rough them up they dont break up into small mushy bits
"I'm always a fan of salads with a bit of fruit too. Basic rocket, parmesan and pear with a vinaigrette kind of thing. Or spinach, pine nut and cranberry."
I'm a huge fan of a pearl cous cous with feta, roast capsicum and pomegranate salad.
Also rough them up by tossing them around gently in a strainer or colander and you get more "fluffy" roughing which of course means delicious crispy bits.
Duck fat is meant to be amazing to finish them in, but I've never bothered to go that far.
Exactly, don't need to waste the extra dollars on duck fat when you can get great results just using Supafry from Coles or Woolies, and some good salt
My stomach hates you so much right now.
Try the Aldi goose fat potatoes. You’re welcome
I got a whole smoked Turkey one year from Woolies which we really enjoyed, tasted very similar to the ham but felt healthier and easier to eat. I've looked for them every year since and not been able to find one. Christmas pudding (with custard) is the essential component to our Christmas meal. It's the one thing unique to Christmas dinner.
Buy one, spatchcock and smoke yourself. Did this a year back, it was a hit
The last time I smoked a turkey for Christmas, I didn't get any because it disappeared so quickly
Costco does a smoked chicken breast which we chop up into “recipe size” pieces and freeze. It is really good in Spanish style recipes.
Springrolls, my mum makes her own and they're my favourite food ever. They're not the same as the usual asian ones you get, but I absolutely love em.
unobtainable / low stock = downvote :)
Maybe cups? Or possibly bowls?
Is a cup a dish?
Is a dish a dish?
The Candy Man makes everything he bakes
Satisfying and delicious
Talk about your childhood wishes
You can even eat the dishes
Satellite
What about pain?
I know someone who can dish that out
Pudding, my Nan used to make her Great Auntie Myrtles recipe in September and hang it until Christmas. The house always smelled amazing and partnered with brandy cream, nothing better.
I've made it a few times using her pudding stained hand written recipe :)Fruit cake
You admitting something?
I make cherry pies for Christmas
I’ve never had a cherry pie. My wife tells me they are the best fruit pies but I’ve never even seen them for sale in Australia.
Tastes so good, makes a grown man cry.
Sweet cherry pie!
You got a recipe for that?
I used this one to start with https://bakerbynature.com/foolproof-cherry-pie/
Now I kind of wing it. I make two at once as I know my mixing bowl full of pitted cherries is the right amount for two pies and my small saucepan is the right size for cooking two pies worth of filling.
You can pit cherries by stabbing them through the stem with a chopstick while holding them above a bowl for the pit to fall into but worth investing in a hand-held pitting device as it is a bit quicker. And don't wear any clothes you care about / stain easily as the bench or table looks like a murder scene when you're done 😛
Pies taste best when you use fresh sour cherries and you use the recipe from the same person for the pastry but it is very time consuming (a lot of fridge time) and it still tastes fine with supermarket shortcrust pastry so feel free to use that. It also still tastes ok with frozen cherries (about a bag and a half of frozen cherries for two pies from memory). Fresh cherries have a fuller cherry flavour and sour cherries even way more.
I think my cherry pie with cold cream over it is one of my favourite meals. Thanks guys for showing interest in it 😁
That's a nice looking pie!
Legend, adding that for sure!
Any chance you would share the recipe ?
Homemade Christmas-pudding-flavoured ice cream
made whisky ice cream last year…. OMG the best
pavlova
Sashimi with Wasabi.
chrissy pudd with brandy butter and brandy cream
Roast pork loin with crackling!
Fried rice
When we catch up with extended family, we usually just all bring a few dishes, so lunch usually consists of cold meat, salad, and other bits and pieces. I usually make either pesto pasta salad (cooked pasta, jar of pesto, few spoonfuls of mayo, semi-dried tomatoes, and roasted pine nuts) or frozen pea salad:
Frozen Pea Salad
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
• 1 tsp white or castor sugar
• 500g frozen peas
• 6 rashers of bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely diced (can replace this with sliced spring onions or chives)
• 1/2 cup grated cheese (I’ve also used crumbled feta cheese)Combine the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl, then add the remaining ingredients.
You don’t need to defrost the peas first – they defrost quickly once they’re added to the dressing, and it’s good for travelling since it stays cold longer!For our traditional Christmas dinner (just hubby and I) I do the glazed ham, etc, and usually just do roast potatoes, but this one was popular when I made it:
https://www.howsweeteats.com/2013/11/whipped-bourbon-bacon-s…
Im going to copy that pea salad for xmas day cheers Choc!
It sounds weird, but it's actually really nice. The original recipe used raw, thinly shaved broccoli instead of peas, and that's really good, but a lot more messy than opening a bag of frozen peas. And the kids seem to like the pea version better. :)
For a different flavour I've added a squirt of sriracha, which is good, too.
How about a recipe for ChocStrawberries?
2 ingredients, and just one step. :P
Porchetta which is a pork loin rolled in a pork belly with some stuffing.
The secret to getting great crackling is for the skin to be as dry as possible before cooking. There's the trick of pouring boiling water over the skin but better than that is to leave the meat uncovered in the fridge to air dry for 24/48 hrs beforehand. Meat stored in cryovac packaging has had the skin sitting in the juices so you can get an easy leg up by purchasing your meat from a butcher where it hasn't been cryovac'd at all. If all else fails hit the skin with a heat gun after cooking.
Satay!
prawns or chicken skewers is the question
Prawns. In the Kilos !
The day after Friday
I don't have one. Haven't had a family reunion over xmas in years. :(
That's sad to hear.
Maybe it's time to reach out to family to arrange.
Can't do that, parents no longer around.
What about brothers and sisters? My parents died years ago but the family still gets together.
Don’t have to have family around for good food. “Treat yo-self”
paella in the charcoal Weber.
Cooked Prawns
Big one's
Isn't the "Aussie" tradition?
Shrimp on the barbie.
Putting small people on barbecue is illegal
."pimp" on the BBQ
A pimp with her cameltoe downunder?
KFC
🎵I don't care 🎵
beer
🍻 🍺 preferably a selection of good homebrews
It isn't christmas without the homemade Christmas pudding and custard.
Jack Daniels or anything similar. It ensures I’m that dad asleep on the couch in the afternoon
Trifle !!
This is the way..
Agreed! And enough for more the next day.
Yep - us too.
Trifle is good, but you can take it to the next level with tiramisu.
I take it to the next level by having it as a main meal and pork crackling as dessert
Vodka…
Vodka…
Some chips…
Vodka…
Chocolate…
Perhaps a little more Vodka….
Maybe some meat based dish…And vodka…. then with some luck it will turn into Dovka!
I endorse this
Thank you!
Grey Goose, Grey Goose Ducasse, Underground from Canberra, 42 Below, and Haku… Any and all will do just fine this xmas! :)
Roast lamb :)
Yep, although last year was the first in a long time that I didn't roast a leg of lamb. We had Italian which was so easy. Prepared most of it the day before. Looking for another theme this year, leaning towards Asian
.
Hash cookies, so I can relax and let everyone else run around like headless chooks.
Cookie Monster !
Instant noodles.
I make a killer Chocolate mousse.
However, if you are looking for some good, options, especially salads I would look here.
What makes your mousse killer?? Happy to receive a PM if its more secret.
My favourite dish is the airing of grievances. Best served cold
After being well marinated in alcohol.
liberal application of salt
And vinegar
I find tinsel distracting
Only if you’re being strangled with it
Clearly you've been to my house!
Choc ripple cake! Instead of a log I usually build up a mountain of biscuits layered with the cream so it's more like a normal cake. Makes more, you get bigger slices and is so yummy. We also have xmas pudding and custard available for the traditionalists.
Sounds luxe, you make it in a cake tin?
Chicken biryani, pork curry and riata
From Dr.Katz…..
Eggnog: "it's like I want to get drunk, but I also want pancakes"
While I don't celebrate Christmas, we do spend it with our Italian next door neighbours and every year without fail there is a massive panettone and they gift us another at the end of spending time with them
Love the Panettone. One with vanilla cream inside, the other coated with chocolate. One plain with icing sugar on top, and one with champagne filling. And maybe a classic one. Plenty of panettone before ( and after ) christmas.
Beef Tartar ( the minced raw meat with other stuff ). I am the only one eating it in the family, so YAY !
when its hot i do prefer carpaccio with olive oil and lemon, beef tartar is more a winter thing (with hot chips and salad), do you add capers?
salmon tartar is nice too - horse tartar but yet to find horse meat in aus
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Wasabi Aisu