Christmas lunch 2010

Santa and sauces

Santa Claus watches over the sauces

Jac and I woke up early to cook on Christmas morning. She put the turkey thigh and breast roasts in the oven while I assembled the layered garden salad.

The salad was really easy to make. From bottom to the top, the layers were:

  • Torn lettuce
  • Frozen peas
  • Sliced fresh mushrooms mixed with hard-boiled egg
  • Grated tasty cheese
  • Sour cream mixed with mayonnaise, lemon juice, finely chopped shallots and Dijon mustard

I put the bowl of salad in the fridge with a bunch of parsley on top to act as a trivet to stop the creamy top layer sticking to the food wrap. Just before serving at lunch time, I arranged sliced fresh tomatoes on top with a sprinkling of parsley (Jac chopped up the parsley trivet) and pieces of crispy fried bacon.

Layered garden salad

Layered garden salad

Recipe: Layered garden salad

I know what some of you are thinking – frozen peas? By the time we ate the salad it had been refrigerated for several hours and the frozen peas had thawed completely. I really like peas in salad. We reduced the number of shallots used in the creamy layer – six shallots seemed like a lot. Or maybe we had unusually large shallots!

We also had Brad’s special coleslaw, made with white and red cabbage, carrot and spring onions.

Brad's special coleslaw

Brad’s special coleslaw

Kelsie made a salad with baby spinach, sauteed cubes of sweet potato, red onion, tomato and toasted macadamia nuts. The macadamias and the sesame oil dressing were really delicious. The spinach leaves soaked up the dressing beautifully and became wonderfully juicy.

Baby spinach and sweet potato salad - so tempting to go for all the macadamias!

Baby spinach and sweet potato salad – so tempting to go for all the macadamias!

Recipe: Baby spinach and sweet potato salad

Kelsie roasted potatoes in the oven in duck fat. The duck fat is Luv-a-Duck brand and comes in a small tub from the supermarket. We tried duck fat roast potatoes for the first time last year at the Good Food and Wine Show Perth and have been craving them ever since (we did well holding out till Christmas, I thought).

Duck fat roast potatoes in the oven tray - oh, the heat and the aroma

Duck fat roast potatoes in the oven tray – oh, the heat and the aroma

Recipe: Duck fat roast potatoes

They were fantastic – among the best potatoes ever. Even Max, who doesn’t like roast potatoes, said they were awesome.

Duck fat roast potatoes - in the oven tray

Duck fat roast potatoes

Kelsie’s mum stuffed and roasted a plump chicken, size 25!

A size 25 roast chicken

A size 25 roast chicken, just before carving

As usual I hung around the kitchen with my camera in hand as the meats were being carved. At home, Jac always warns me not to get too close. It’s always so tempting to steal morsels off the chopping board at the peril of my fingertips.

Carving the roast pork

Carving the roast pork

There was a nice big piece of pork crackling, which Brad sliced up into bite-sized pieces.

Pork crackling

Pork crackling

By the time we sat down to lunch, much of the crackling had been eaten (not all by me)! ;)

Pork crackling in bite-sized pieces

Pork crackling in bite-sized pieces

Pattycakes brought the ham, which looked very retro, garnished with pineapple and glace cherries on toothpicks – it looked like something out of a 1970s cookbook – our very own The Supersizers Go… Seventies moment. :D

Retro-style ham with pineapple and glace cherries

Retro-style ham with pineapple and glace cherries

Brad carefully arranged the hot carved meats on the carnivores’ platter: turkey thigh roast, turkey breast roast, roast pork, roast chicken and stuffing.

Meat platter: turkey thigh roast, turkey breast roast, roast pork, roast chicken and stuffing

Meat platter: turkey thigh roast, turkey breast roast, roast pork, roast chicken and stuffing

This year we didn’t make the cranberry or apple sauces – we cheated with Beerenberg Farm sauces – thanks to Beerenberg Farm (the company that makes those lovely mini jams and sauces for hotels!) for sending them to me in time for the festive season. They were much appreciated and enjoyed!

Beerenberg Farm cranberry sauce and apple sauce

Beerenberg Farm cranberry sauce and apple sauce

Jac drowned her plate in gravy and added a huge dollop of cranberry sauce.

Jac's plate, drowned in gravy

Jac’s plate, drowned in gravy

I never used to like any fruit sauces with roast meats, but I don’t mind it now – another example of how my tastes have evolved over the years. Here’s my plate, with a bit of everything.

My plate

My plate

For dessert, Kelsie made a chocolate mousse log, which she decorated with fresh strawberries and a dusting of icing sugar.

Chocolate mousse log, decorated with strawberries

Chocolate mousse log, decorated with strawberries

The kids’ eyes lit up – they are serious chocoholics!

Chocolate mousse log - side view

Chocolate mousse log – side view

For those who preferred a slightly more healthy dessert, Kelsie had also made a fruit salad.

Fruit salad

Fruit salad

Of course, some of us were quite happy to eat both chocolate mousse log AND fruit salad. With cream. :) The chocolate mousse log was extremely rich and the cream was essential to cut through that sweetness. The centre of the log was made from crushed chocolate chip cookies as well as chocolate mousse.

Chocolate mousse log, fruit salad and cream

Chocolate mousse log, fruit salad and cream

Jac and I took home leftover turkey and ham, and I enjoyed Christmas meat sandwiches the next day made with fresh bread: turkey thigh and breast with strawberry jam (we didn’t take the jar of cranberry sauce home – I find strawberry to be a worthy substitute) and ham with mustard and Swiss cheese. I eat turkey and ham sandwiches all year round but I reckon they are the best when made with Christmas leftover meats.

Hope you enjoyed your Christmas – I’d love to hear about your Christmas Day.

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