David Herbert serves up a perfect Christmas feast
David Herbert serves up a magnificent festive spread with everything from roasted lamb to the best Thai prawn salad.
For a one-off end-of-year festive cooking special, David Herbert, a beloved fixture in The Weekend Australian Magazine for more than 15 years, shows us how to create the perfect Christmas feast, followed by two deliciously seasonal treats, shortbread and parfait. Enjoy these lovely recipes.
Some other recipes you might love:
Thai prawn salad
The best Thai salads combine contrasting tastes and textures. Use recipes as a guide only — the intensity of the ingredients can vary, and only your tongue can tell you how much more of something you need to add.
Ingredients
- 20 large cooked prawns
- 2 red Asian shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced lemongrass
- 4 makrut lime leaves, shredded
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1-2 long red chillies, thinly sliced
- Large handful of mixed fresh mint and coriander leaves
- Orange lime dressing
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 teaspoons caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
Method
- Peel the prawns and remove their heads and any veins. Thinly slice the flesh and place in a large bowl with the remaining salad ingredients.
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake until well mixed.
- Gently mix the dressing through the salad. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then serve immediately. Serves 4
Leg of lamb and smashed beans
Ingredients
- 1 leg of lamb, about 2-2.5kg
- 4 rosemary sprigs
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- Zest 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled
- 2 bay leaves
- 250g dried haricot beans
- 8 salted anchovy fillets
- Large pinch chilli flakes
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Method
- Place the beans in a bowl, cover with water and soak overnight. A few hours before roasting, remove the lamb from the fridge. Preheat the oven to 180C (fan-forced). Chop the leaves from half the rosemary and place in a bowl with half the garlic, lemon zest and olive oil. Place the lamb in a roasting tin and brush with the rosemary and garlic mixture. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Roast for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 160C (fan-forced) and roast for a further 1¼ hours. Meanwhile, place the beans in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add the onion and bay leaves and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 35 minutes, or until tender. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid. Discard the onion and bay leaves.
- When the lamb is ready, remove from the oven, transfer to a platter, cover with foil and keep warm while you finish off the beans. Place the roasting tin over a medium heat. Add the remaining oil, garlic and rosemary, plus the anchovies and chilli flakes. Stir for 2 minutes, then sir in 500ml of the reserved bean liquid, scraping up any stuck-on bits. Stir in the beans, simmer for 7-10 minutes, then gently mash with a fork. Carve the lamb into thickish slices. Sprinkle with the parsley and remaining lemon zest and serve with the beans. Serves 4-6
Pomegranate tabouleh
Ingredients
- 150g burghul
- ¾ cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup roughly chopped mint
- 200g cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- Seeds from 1 pomegranate
- 3 spring onions, chopped
- Juice 1 lemon
- 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Method
- Place the burghul in a bowl, cover with 450ml boiling water and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Drain the burghul, place in a clean cloth, wrap tightly and squeeze out the excess water. Transfer the burghul to a large bowl.
- Add the parsley, mint, tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, pomegranate seeds, spring onion and lemon juice. Season well with salt and black pepper. Drizzle the olive oil over and toss well to serve. Serves 4
Sweet potato wedges
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 6 garlic cloves
- Preheat the oven to 200C (fan-forced). Scrub the sweet potatoes and trim off the ends. Halve them lengthways, then cut each half into long wedges. Arrange them on a large baking tray then drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with the thyme leaves and place the whole garlic cloves among the wedges.
- Season well with salt and black pepper, then toss to coat in the oil. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the wedges over and cook for a further 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Discard the garlic and serve. Serves 4
Win 1 of 12 spaces in an intimate live cooking class with David Herbert.
The Australian Plus members can enter for the chance to win 1 of 12 places in an intimate cooking class with David Herbert. Find out more here. T&Cs apply.