Christmas cooking tips from Matt Preston, George Calombaris, Anna Polyviou, Colin Fassnidge and Mark Best
Being the Christmas cook can be daunting. But don’t stress. Some of Australia’s best chefs including Matt Preston, Colin Fassnidge, George Calombaris, Anna Polyviou and Mark Best are here to help.
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The stifling hot Aussie climate at this time of year doesn’t favour those wanting to serve traditional hot meals, which leaves seafood as the obvious choice.
Unfortunately that’s not everyone’s favourite. Many Australian adults and kids have specific dietary requirements that can be tough to meet.
To help out, News Corp has recruited some of the nation’s best chefs including Matt Preston, George Calombaris, Anna Polyviou, Colin Fassnidge and Mark Best, who have given us their ultimate Christmas cooking and dinner party tips.
MATT PRESTON
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The MasterChef judge and author of book Yummy Easy Quick struggles with his family who don’t like to budge from tradition. “Yet again my very sensible argument to choose a bird for our Christmas lunch that we cook every week (chicken) rather than once a year (turkey which is notoriously lean and therefore easy to dry out) has been lost,” he said. “As has the idea of going with hot-weather-suitable-salads that are easy to assemble and minimise the cooking and pots. Heritage is a hard thing to shift.”
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Preston will be making the most of fresh seafood produce when dishing up meals, with fish tacos and a bucket of prawns. “I’ll be making a simple mayo — perhaps spiked with sriracha chilli sauce, a few drops of lime juice or a swirl of BBQ sauce or ketchup as a simple way to lift both the prawns and the tacos,” he said.
“I’m also baking the fish crumbed. Letting everyone make their own tacos reduces my pre-Christmas workload dramatically.” He’ll also churn out gravy, Brussel sprouts and peas. “I’ll customise the sprouts with something porky and something nutty like cubes of fried bacon toasted almonds. For me Christmas needs the full suite of condiments and bread sauce is essential so I’ll also do that too. The milk that soaks the bread is infused with cloves and bay leaf — it’s simple but will mean that the four hobs in the bush kitchen will be very, very crowded.”
DESSERTS
Matt starts his famous Christmas pudding ice cream several days early because he has 25 people to cook for. “Christmas pudding ice cream and a small classic pudding which is really a pathetic attempt to camouflage my desire fill a bowl with ice cream, brandy butter and brandy custard,” he said.
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Little touches are almost as important as the feast. “The bonbons, the ice, the cranberry sauce for the turkey, the nuts or chips to go with drinks — a mix of raw cashews, dried cranberries, flake salt and a few white chocolate buttons are suitably festive — and the mustard for the ham,” he said. “These are the little things can easily be forgotten along with staples like milk, bread which can both be stored in the new free space in your freezer and, of course, toilet paper.”
COLIN FASSNIDGE
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Not one for turkey at Christmas time, Colin Fassnidge said he will be making roast chicken the star dish. His recipe is a showstopper, with sourdough bread the surprise ingredient. “You get your chicken breast and you put it on top of the bread. Make sure to add butter, garlic and lots of herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary and olive oil,” he said.
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Naturally, “because I’m Irish we’re doing potatoes,” Fassnidge said. “We peel potatoes, blanch them the day before and cook them. Put them in the fridge and don’t cover them, let them dry up. Then on the day of cover them in duck fat or olive oil and smash in a load of garlic, rosemary, thyme and put it in a bowl with apple cider vinegar.” The My Kitchen Rules judge has been growing a lot of vegetables and herbs in his garden to make fresh salads. His favourite is watermelon, fetta, peas and fennel.
DESSERTS
Fassnidge cheats and buys pavlova. “I’ve worked too hard at this point. I’m broken by this stage. I’ll whip the cream myself,” he said. He also is a fan of making ice cream sandwiches.
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Simple does the trick here. “Mulled wine, a pinot with dinner and maybe some whiskey later,” he said.
ANNA POLYVIOU
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Sticking to her European heritage, Anna Polyviou, author of Sweet Street, said she likes a Souvla — a lamb or pig done as a spit roast. She also serves Cypriot sausages. “They are the best thing I’ve ever tasted,” she said. “Whatever meat you choose, don’t remove the fat. I know people are trying to be healthy but you need the fat because it holds in all the juices.” Fresh seafood also plays a starring role on her Christmas dinner table, including prawns, oysters, BBQ octopus and crabs. “Served with lemon. No sauces, as it’s all about being natural. We don’t have tartare sauce or tomato sauce on the table. My mum would be mortified.”
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Polyviou likes to mix it up with traditional Greek side dishes and some fresh modern options. “A potato salad that is dressed with olive oil, parsley and lemon. And red wine potatoes too,” she said. “We do fresh salads from the garden with whatever we have growing,” she said. “We also make a Spanakopita (Greek savoury pastry). We like to keep it very light and fresh. It’s not overly traditional, it’s basically just a big spread that caters to everyone.” But the standout is her homemade haloumi with pita bread. “We make that from scratch. It’s just amazing.”
DESSERTS
Another Greek speciality takes the cake for the finale; a Galaktoboureko, among several other Anna-inspired desserts. “It’s basically custard with a filo pastry then a honey syrup that goes on top,” Anna says. She serves it alongside a big fruit salad featuring her favourites; watermelon, cherries, mangoes and homegrown figs. Anna advises ditching the humble fruit cake. “Everyone always randomly brings a fruit cake that is never tasty.”
GEORGE CALOMBARIS
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George Calombaris’ big tip is to source the very best ham you can afford. “It’s summer and therefore likely to be warm so try veering away from roast turkey. Instead focus on light, fresh seafood; try Mount Martha mussels or some incredible scarlet prawns,” he said. He also loves lamb. “I really enjoy the time it takes to prepare the lamb as it is the first part of the preparation and helps me map all the other dishes in around it. Once that lamb goes on, it all begins and the music is up, the kids start helping and it becomes a family experience preparing the festive feast.”
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Calombaris’ Cypriot grain salad is also popular. “This has become a favourite of all of our guests and clearly for many others around Australia after recently becoming the most downloaded recipe in the country,” he said. “The grain salad is satisfying, robust and hearty yet never boring or out of place. The perfect dish to also cater for any vegans or vegetarians too or the perfect side to balance out the mains served. This salad is popular with all the ages too, the kids will love it and your only problem will be having enough.”
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Variety is important when it comes to drinks, according to the MasterChef judge. “We always make sure we have a great range of drinks for the family and guests as we know its important to drink mindfully,” he said. “Have some fun with a beverage match of sorts where you can hero them just like the food.”
MARK BEST
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Mark Best prefers to stick to tradition. “I usually order a Berkshire ham and a large free-range turkey,” he said. “Turkey is notoriously dry if not cooked with care, for best results prepare a brine. It seasons the turkey thoroughly and allows the breast and legs to cook more evenly.” But if you want to try something really different, Best suggests giving goose a crack. “It’s traditional in Europe, a celebratory bird which is rich in flavour and delicious. Personally, I think it’s the perfect statement meat for Christmas or even Christmas Eve.”
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One of his most raved about side dishes is a favourite on the Christmas table. “It is a gratin of roasted parsley root, fennel, heirloom carrot and parsnip — this could easily be a hero dish as well as a side. When you’re planning your menu, you need a combination of sides including lots of different types of salads as well as hot vegetable dishes,” he said.
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While pavlova is normally the go-to, Best said to make the most of summer mangoes. “I make my Mango with White Chocolate and Sheep Milk Yoghurt Ganache with Kaffir lime Sherbet,” he said. “This is a very fresh and vibrant summer dessert that combines luxury with exotic.”
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“I love a big jug of Noilly Prat (vermouth) on clear ice with mandarin peal,” he said. “Also, jugs of classic martini are perfect for a lazy Christmas afternoon. I also provide champagne and plenty of boutique beer and a good white wine. For non-drinkers, I would have some homemade kombucha made with Chinese tea and apple juice.”
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Best said decor is worth investing in so it adds to the overall feel of Christmas Day. “A festive Christmas table sets the tone for the feast,” he said. “Personally, I think that a Christmas cracker is the perfect festive touch. I like to use a beautiful old ice bucket filled with boutique beers. Not only do they dress the table, your guests don’t have to get up to go to the fridge once they’re empty.”
Originally published as Christmas cooking tips from Matt Preston, George Calombaris, Anna Polyviou, Colin Fassnidge and Mark Best