The best part of Christmas is to sit around the table and share delicious food and wine. We love this Christmas menu created by the talented Kelly Gibney. These dishes will definitely impress your loved ones!
Beetroot cured salmon
Serves 10 – 12 as a snack
1 ½ medium beetroot – grated
2 ½ tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons caster sugar
80mls vodka or gin
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh dill
Zest of one lemon
1 side of salmon 800g – 1kg
150g crème Fraiche
Zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons capers
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
To serve: toasted sourdough or baguette slices, cucumber slices, caperberries (optional), and fresh dill.
Combine the beetroot, salt, sugar, gin, dill and lemon zest in a bowl. Stir well.
Line a large dish with two layers of baking paper (leaving plenty of paper to hang over the sides) and place the salmon on top skin-side down. Smear evenly with the beetroot mixture. Wrap the baking paper around the salmon and cover with one or two layers of plastic wrap so that it is snugly wrapped. Place a slightly smaller dish/tray on top of the salmon and place a heavy item on top to act as a weight. Leave the salmon for 2 days in the fridge. You can remove the weight after 24 hrs. You can drain off any excess liquid once a day.
Remove all the wrapping from the salmon and rinse quickly under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and store in an airtight container.
Combine the crème Fraiche and capers. Season well.
Serve with salmon on top of slices of toasted bread with a generous spread of crème Fraiche, a cucumber slice, fresh dill and one of the caperberries. Finish with a good grind of cracked black pepper.
Salmon will last 1 week in the fridge in an airtight container.
Prawn with tarragon and lemon butter sauce & herb salad
Serves 6
1 shallot – finely diced
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup white wine
½ teaspoon wholegrain mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 tablespoons cream
Handful fresh tarragon leaves – roughly chopped
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
1.1 kg prawns
50g microgreens
3 radish – sliced very thinly
Olive oil for sautéing
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Cook the shallot for 5 minutes, until tender. Add the wine and cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Add the remaining butter, mustard and lemon juice. Cook for 1 minute until bubbling. Add the cream and tarragon leaves. Heat through quickly and then remove from the heat. Season well.
If using frozen prawns, thaw overnight in the fridge and then pat until very dry with paper towels. Fresh prawns will need to be patted dry also.
Heat a generous glug of oil on a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season the prawns well and then book in 2 -3 batches (don’t crowd the pan) until golden brown on each side. About 40-60 seconds on each side should do.
Divide the microgreens and radish among the plates. Top with the cooked prawns, drizzle with the sauce and serve immediately.
You can garnish the plate with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a little cracked black pepper.
Spiced slow-roasted lamb leg with fresh herb sauce and pomegranate seeds
Serves 6
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon garam masala
Zest of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves – finely diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bone-in lamb leg
1 onion – cut into thick rings
1 cup beef stock
Herb sauce
Large handful of fresh mint
Large handful fresh parsley
1 small garlic clove – finely diced
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
To serve: pomegranate seeds to garnish
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Combine the sugar, cumin, garam masala, lemon zest, garlic and olive oil in a bowl and stir well. Rub all over the lamb leg.
Lay the onion slices in the bottom of your roasting dish. Place the lamb leg on top. Cook for 25 minutes uncovered. Reduce the temperature to 150 degrees Celsius, pour the beef stock around the lamb (not on top) and cover tightly with tinfoil. Cook for 3 hours. Remove the tinfoil and cook for a final 30 minutes uncovered.
Pour off all the liquid from the bottom of the pan into a saucepan. Simmer for 15 minutes until reduced by half. Cover the lamb with tinfoil while you prepare the jus.
Blend together all the herb sauce ingredients until smooth. Season generously.
To serve: Place the lamb on a platter, pour the jus and then drizzle with some of the herb sauce. Garnish with pomegranate seeds. Serve additional herb sauce on the side for your guests.
