Christmas on a budget: How to have a luxe festive lunch for less
Celebrity chef Curtis Stone says cooking up an incredible festive feast doesn’t have to be stressful or costly. Here are the best budget-friendly tips and tricks to a carefree Christmas Day.
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Christmas — a time of year that’s filled with fun and food and family, but it’s also a time that can seem overwhelming, planning and executing a feast for a crowd. And costly.
But it needn’t be a time of stress and maxed out cards.
With just a little bit of thought and planning, it’s easy to cook up an incredible Christmas feast that looks great, tastes better and won’t have you still paying it off at Easter.
“People overcomplicate Christmas. We always do too much and we always cook more than we need. People are happy with whatever,” Curtis Stone says.
SCROLL DOWN FOR SIMPLE AND TASTY CHRISTMAS RECIPES
Australia’s favourite LA expat chef says Christmas should be enjoyed by everyone gathered together – and that importantly includes the host.
“The best host is the one having fun. If the host is having fun, invariably you do, too.”
The Coles ambassador, who is back in Melbourne to celebrate Christmas with his extended family this year, says there are simple ways to cater for a crowd and create a spread that looks a million bucks, but doesn’t cost it.
“We tend to buy what we traditionally think of as Christmas, like brussels sprouts, all the stuff that’s not necessarily in season, and stuff out of season is more expensive. So buying seasonal is really important,” he says.
“And don’t overdo it. We tend to cook way too much.”
SUPER COOL
Great seafood is already a luxe treat for many, so needs little by way of accompaniments. It can be simply the means of presentation that will elevate your spread from good to OMG!
Curtis says prawns arranged on an ice bed looks great and also keeps the seafood cold. The key is to salt the ice first, which will help slow it melting.
Celebrity chef and cookbook author Anna Gare says serving your seafood platter on an ice tray is an easy way to add wow.
Boil and cool the water (as this will make the ice freeze clear) and once cool, pour into a large, shallow plastic tray (which will help with release).
“Now you can get creative and decorate with herbs, flowers or citrus leaves to make it look pretty,” she says.
If the leaves and flowers start to rise to the top, after about two hours poke them back down with a toothpick.
When you’re ready to serve, simply turn out the tray and arrange the seafood on top.
“It’s great because it keeps it nice and chilled on a hot Christmas Day,” Anna says.
PRAWN STAR
“Seafood is brilliant around Christmas, oysters and prawns all that beautiful stuff, which can be so simple to prepare,” Curtis says. “We’ve done a good job of creating Aussie traditions around Christmas.”
Serving marinated BBQ prawns and fresh oysters is a festive way to kick off the party.
Add simple style by serving oysters with a raspberry vinaigrette. “It’s really cool and super simple,” Curtis says. Blend fresh or frozen raspberries with raspberry vinegar and some olive oil. “It’s a really nice chilled vinaigrette.”
Alternatively, a “champagne granita” adds a touch of luxe to an oyster platter. Simply mix your favourite sparkling wine from here or there with sugar syrup and freeze. Scrape with a fork to turn it into “snow” and dress the oysters just before serving.
Hugh Allen from delicious.100 restaurant Vue de monde says the most luxurious thing you can do to an oyster doesn’t cost a cent.
“Don’t buy shucked oysters. Learn to open them and shuck them yourself, you’ll notice the difference,” he says.
RETRO COOL
“You can’t go past a prawn cocktail,” says Mark Labrooy from the Three Blue Ducks. “It’s conventional but a winner.”
Fill a trifle bowl with ice, stack peeled prawns on top and hanging from the lip of the bowl, with shredded iceberg lettuce on the side.
The key to making this classic dish Christmas-special, Mark says, is to make your own cocktail sauce.
Use good quality tomato sauce, mayonnaise, Tabasco, lemon juice, salt and cracked pepper.
“Now you have something more interesting than the conventional chipper cocktail sauce,” he says.
GLAZED OVER
“I like to change my glaze each year, have some fun with it,” Curtis says. Stone fruit is in its prime at Christmas time so making your own glaze is a tasty, colourful and inexpensive way to make a ham your family’s own.
“I did a cherry glaze one year, the red ham was very dramatic, but you could use anything you like, cumquats, nectarines are great.”
Cook down your chosen fruit with “Christmas aromatics” – cinnamon, nutmeg, clove – puree and use to glaze over the ham.
Mark says he’s a fan of the old-school crosshatched ham studded with cloves. His glaze of choice takes ginger, pineapple, chilli, maple syrup and white wine reduced until sticky.
“The ham looks amazing on the table, you get these dark, caramelised tones next to the pale bits of flesh once you carve into it.”
HAM IT UP
The key to the perfect ham, Curtis says, is to only start glazing late in the cooking. Otherwise the glaze will get too dark and sticky and the ham will be almost impossible to carve. If cooking in an oven, 170C for two hours, glazing after 90 minutes will give best results. “It’s plenty of time to give a beautiful glaze to the ham,” Curtis says.
TERRIFIC TURKEY
“A lot of people get anxious about cooking turkey because the breast can dry out,” Anna says.
“If you are cooking both a turkey and ham, when you remove the skin off the ham to glaze, don’t throw it away, just pop it over the turkey breasts to keep them nice and moist while baking. Remove towards end to brown the bird as per your recipe.”
Hugh says soaking your turkey in a 6% brine overnight will ensure your bird stays juicy and succulent when it hits the table.
“Allowing the bird to dry (uncovered) in the fridge will help you achieve a great, crispy skin,” he says.
Cook in a low oven (120C) until the core temperature reaches 62C on a meat thermometer. Remove and let rest for 45mins, then return to a super-hot (240C) oven until the skin is golden and crisp. Rest for another 20-30 mins before carving.
BOXING CLEVER
Another tip when cooking turkey and ham, if you cook one before guests arrive, is to pop it into a polystyrene box.
“It will hold its heat nicely for an hour or so,” Anna says.
GET STUFFED
The key to a perfect turkey lies in the stuffing, and Mark says his “cowboy stuffing” won’t disappoint this Christmas.
Fry bacon lardons with diced brown onion. Add breadcrumbs, lots of parsley, marjoram, oregano, diced tinned plums, garlic and 2 -3 tbsp currants.
“You have this sweet, fruity mix to stuff into the cavity of the turkey.”
GORGEOUS GRAVY
The second-best thing about a roasted turkey (after the stuffing) is the gravy. Mark suggests adding tomato paste to the turkey pan once the bird is removed and resting. Leave the paste in nuggets and fry in the fat. Deglaze the pan with red wine and add some flour, stirring until smooth. “You can add some cream or more red wine to it and you have a delicious gravy.”
SEXY SALAD
“I like to add some crunch to a salad with homemade fennel seed toffee,” Anna says.
Make a standard toffee of equal parts sugar and water and cook over low heat with the fennel seeds. Increase the heat, and cook until the syrup is a golden toffee colour. Remove from heat, add pepitas, sunflower seeds and toasted sesame seeds. Pour onto a tray lined with baking paper.
Once set, break into small pieces and scatter over a salad, such as Anna’s favourite: a fig and fennel salad with Persian feta.
Hugh says a salad of raw “crudité” vegetables is perfect for a hot Australian Christmas.
Thinly slice on a mandoline a selection of veg – carrots, radish, turnips, celery, beetroot – and place into ice water which will keep them fresh and crisp, Drain, season with flaked salt and dress with Australian olive oil and lemon juice.
MAKE A MESS
“I don’t think you can go past an Eton mess,” Mark says of making a centrepiece finale to the Christmas feast. “It’s kind of fun, super summery, colourful and visual.”
Mark suggests making a meringue of 1/3 egg whites to 2/3 sugar, and baking this on a tray for an hour at 110C. “It should give you a pretty serious marshmallowy centre,” he says. “Break it up a bit, lay it out on a big board. Dollop Chantilly cream, flick some lemon curd, drizzle passionfruit and then add mango, Kiwi fruit, freshly torn mint, blueberries and strawberries. Where they fall, it’s no big deal. It’s all a bit messy, you can all just dive in with a spoon.”
BERRY NICE
“My family love my last-minute ice-cream berry and chocolate dessert,” Anna says.
Simply turn out a two-litre tub of your favourite ice cream and decorate it with an assortment of fresh berries and then top with lashings of homemade chocolate ganache, which is simply melted chocolate mixed with cream and cooled.
STRESS LESS
“Divide and conquer is the best way to do Christmas,” Curtis says. “You don’t want to be the person who has to do absolutely everything,” he says.
Delegating is key – get one person to look after the carols and music playlist, someone else to look after the drinks.
“The truth is you’re going to cook for a group, so it’s a big job. Most people aren’t used to doing that, so planning is important. The difference between a chef and a home cook is we write lists,” he says.
Think about your equipment. Do you have a carving knife? Cutting boards big enough? Serving containers? Storage containers for leftovers?
“If you have all this sorted, you’re putting yourself in a really good position,” he says.
HERE’S CHEERS
Anna says a chilled summery sangria is a fabulously festive way to get the feast under way.
In a glass jug, pour a bottle of inexpensive white wine and add a dash of Cointreau and white rum.
Add some freshly squeezed orange juice and apple juice.
“I also add a whole cinnamon quill, some mint leaves and finely sliced apple rounds. Top with a load of ice and it looks and tastes fit for a Queen or King!”
NO SCREAMS WITH ICE CREAM
Taste.com.au food director Michelle Southan shares the secrets to a perfect ice cream dessert:
•The first step to any ice-cream cake is to clean out the freezer and make space. Ideally, clean out a shelf that offers a level place to freeze. This way any layers you make can freeze evenly.
•If using bought ice-cream to make your dessert, when softening it to put into the pan or mould, only soften the ice-cream slightly. This will enable you to stir the ice-cream but it will still hold its shape. Melting the ice-cream completely reduces the air in the ice-cream and can breakdown the structure and form ice crystals.
•Add a piece of cake to the top of the dessert, so when you turn it out the cake sits on the bottom. This cake layer will help soak up any melted ice-cream.
•Have fun and try adding some of your favourite chocolate bars chopped up to the ice cream
•Be careful if adding alcohol, as adding too much will stop the ice-cream from resetting.
•When unmoulding, place the serving platter in the freezer to chill, so the plate will help keep it frozen longer if it’s a hot summer day.
•To get your dessert out of the tin or mould, dip the pan or mould into hot water for 10 seconds and unmould, then return to the freezer for 15-30 minutes to chill before serving.
READ MORE:
HOW TO BUY AND COOK THE BEST XMAS SEAFOOD
HOW TO REDUCE XMAS SPENDING PAIN
COOKING A MEAT-FREE XMAS LUNCH IS EASY
WHOLE POACHED TROUT WITH CELERIAC REMOULADE
Serves 8–10
Recipe: Anna Gare
INGREDIENTS:
1.5kg whole ocean trout, scaled and gutted
Small handful of tarragon leaves, to garnish (optional)
Poaching stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 sticks of celery, finely chopped, or any trimmings and stalks from the celeriac (see remoulade)
70g finely chopped fennel
50g thinly sliced leek, white part only
25g thinly sliced mushrooms, or mushroom skins
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 fresh bay leaf
3 litres water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Celeriac remoulade
1 small celeriac
juice of ½ a lemon
1 teaspoon sea salt
60g good-quality mayonnaise
80ml pouring cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Drizzle of Worcestershire sauce
METHOD:
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the vegetables, garlic and bay leaf and cook for about 10 minutes to bring out all the flavours.
Add the water and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.
Lay the trout diagonally across the base of a large, deep flameproof roasting tray then pour the poaching stock into the tray so it comes halfway up the trout.
Put the tray over medium heat and bring the stock back to a gentle boil, then turn the trout over.
Cover the tray with foil, sealing the edges well so the steam can’t escape, and cook for another 2–3 minutes, or until the stock starts to boil again. Turn off the heat and leave the trout to gently poach in the stock as it cools to room temperature (about 25–30 minutes).
Carefully remove the trout to a serving platter and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and grate the celeriac (you’ll get the best results using a mandolin).
Combine well with the lemon juice and salt.
Mix the mayonnaise, cream, mustard and Worcestershire sauce in another bowl.
Add the mayonnaise mixture to the celeriac and stir to coat well. Set aside until serving.
To serve
Peel the skin from the fish (it should come away easily), leaving the head and tail intact.
Brush the trout with any resting juices to seal it and give it a nice shine, then garnish as desired – I like to use tarragon leaves. Serve with the celeriac remoulade.
NOTES:
You don’t need a fish poacher to poach a fish. I’m a big believer in having multipurpose kitchen equipment, so for this recipe all you need is a large roasting tray — if you lay the fish diagonally across the base, it should fit perfectly.
FRUITCAKE ICE-CREAM LOAF
Serves 8
Prep 4 hours 25 mins
Recipe: Leanne Kitchen, Taste magazine
INGREDIENTS:
•600g (2 2/3 cups, firmly packed) finely crumbled dark fruitcake (see note)
•1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
•60ml (1/4 cup) whisky
•2L vanilla ice-cream, softened slightly
•Whipped cream, to serve
•Raspberries, to serve
•Salted caramel chocolate balls, to serve
•Choc-coated peanut brittle balls, to serve
•185ml (3/4 cup) salted caramel sauce
•Strawberries, halved, to serve
METHOD:
•Step 1
Line an 8-cup loaf pan with plastic wrap and place in the freezer to chill.
•Step 2
Place the cake in a large bowl. Add the orange rind and 1 tbs whisky and stir to combine. Add the softened ice-cream. Working quickly, use a large metal spoon to mix the cake mixture through the ice-cream. Spoon the mixture into the chilled loaf pan and smooth the top. Place in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight.
•Step 3
Dip loaf pan in hot water for 10 seconds and turn out onto a chilled platter. Top with cream and raspberries. Scatter with the caramel and peanut brittle balls. Combine sauce and remaining 2 tbs whisky. Drizzle over loaf. Serve the strawberries on the side.
NOTES:
•A drier fruitcake works best here. Make the ice-cream loaf up to 1 week ahead.
•Switch up the flavour: try chocolate cake instead of fruitcake and use Baileys instead of whisky.
STICKY APPLE AND PLUM-GLAZED HAM
Serves 8
Prep 1 hour
Cook 2 hours 15 mins
Recipe: Michelle Southan, Taste magazine
Picture: Brett Stevens
INGREDIENTS:
•100g pkt plum paste
•8 whole star anise
•125ml (1/2 cup) fresh orange juice, strained
•125ml (1/2 cup) maple syrup
•2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
•7-8kg whole leg ham, on the bone
•6-8 small apples
METHOD:
•Step 1
Preheat oven to 170C/150C fan forced. Place an oven shelf in the lowest position, removing other shelves. Line a large roasting pan with baking paper. Place a wire rack on top and pour enough water into pan until just under the rack but not touching.
•Step 2
Place the plum paste, star anise, orange juice, maple syrup and Dijon in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until paste has dissolved. Bring to the boil then simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until syrupy. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and set aside to cool and thicken.
•Step 3
Use a sharp knife to cut around the ham shank, about 10cm from end. Run knife around the edge of the ham. Gently lift the rind off in 1 piece by running your fingers between the rind and the fat.
•Step 4
Use a mandoline to thinly slice the apples crossways. Brush the top of the ham with a little glaze. Place the apple slices on top, slightly overlapping. Use toothpicks to secure, where necessary. Arrange star anise randomly over apple slices.
•Step 5
Transfer the ham to prepared wire rack in pan. Wrap the shank in foil. Brush one-third of the remaining glaze over apples. Bake for 40 minutes. Brush again with half of the remaining glaze and bake for a further 40 minutes. Carefully remove the toothpicks.
•Step 6
Brush the ham with half the remaining glaze and bake for 20 minutes. Brush with the remaining glaze and bake for a further 20 minutes or until the apples are golden and sticky. Set aside for 30 minutes to rest before slicing to serve.
NOTES:
The ham can be glazed and cooked the night before. Allow to cool then store in the fridge
To store leftover ham, lay the rind over the glazed section, cover with a damp tea towel and store in the fridge in a ham bag or pillowcase.
CHRISTMAS SANGRIA
SERVES 8
Prep 2 hours 15 mins
Recipe: Kim Coverdale, taste.com.au
Picture: Craig Wall
INGREDIENTS:
•4 large red apples or green apples
•250g fresh cherries, pitted
•500g fresh strawberries, sliced
•3 strips orange rind
•1 cinnamon stick
•1/3 cup orange-flavoured liqueur
•750ml bottle shiraz rose, chilled
•3 cups chilled lemonade
•Ice-cubes, to serve
METHOD:
•Step 1
Slice each apple crossways into 3mm thick slices. using a 4cm star-shaped cutter, cut stars from apple.
•Step 2
Place apple, cherries, strawberries, orange rind and cinnamon in a large serving jug. Add liqueur, rose and lemonade. Stir to combine. Cover. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
•Step 3
Add ice-cubes to sangria and stir well just before serving.