Good Weekend’s festive feasting 2021

A tough year’s nearly over – even more reason than usual to eat, drink and be merry. Try these delicious ways to double down on the celebrations.

Photography by William Meppem. Styling by Hannah Meppem. Food preparation by Jimmy Callaway.Credit:

Karen Martini’s kingfish & smoked rainbow trout rillettes with sumac & salmon caviar

Versions of this dish have graced many a festive table in my house, kicking off a day of indulgence in a stunning way, a glass of fizz or crisp white in one hand, homemade crispbread piled with rillettes in the other.

You can up the festive ante by using diced smoked eel (skin and bones removed) instead of the trout, resulting in a richer, more intense flavour, which I think is just superb (smoked eel is available at good fishmongers, but you may need to order it in). However you make this dish, it’s never better than when served, freshly made, at room temperature. Accompany with pane croccante or similar crispbread, or sliced baguette.

Serves 8-10 as an appetiser

600g kingfish fillet, skin, bones and bloodline removed
150g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
120g natural yoghurt
3 egg yolks
80ml extra virgin olive oil
salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
150g hot-smoked trout fillet
juice of 1 large lemon
1/2 bunch of chives, very finely sliced
2 tbsp salmon caviar
1 tbsp sumac
picked watercress and dill, to serve

Kingfish & smoked rainbow trout rillettes with sumac & salmon caviar.Credit: William Meppem. Styling by Hannah Meppem

1. Bring a wide pan of salted water (enough to cover the kingfish) to the boil. Lower the kingfish into the water and reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Leave the fish in the water for 5 minutes. Transfer the fillet to a colander and cover with plastic wrap or a plate.

2. Whisk the butter and yoghurt vigorously for 2 minutes, then add the egg yolks and oil, season with salt and pepper and whisk until you have a smooth, glossy paste. You can do this by hand or in a mixer, but note that it will take a lot longer if the butter isn’t properly softened.

3. Uncover the kingfish and flake the flesh into a large bowl. Flake in the smoked trout, being careful to remove any fine bones, then combine. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

4. Mix the lemon juice though the butter mix, then tip onto the fish. Add half the chives, then gently fold to combine. Check the seasoning and adjust; the mixture should be quite highly seasoned with salt and lots of pepper.

5. Serve the rillettes with the salmon caviar, remaining chives and sumac sprinkled over the top, then finish with handfuls of watercress and dill. Serve with pane croccante or sliced baguette on the side.

Salt-crust chicken with salmoriglio.Credit: William Meppem. Styling by Hannah Meppem

Neil Perry’s salt-crust chicken with salmoriglio

This is such a wonderful celebration in a dish – and a favourite from my new book, Everything I Love to Cook. The procedure is grand and the outcome heavenly. The salt and nori permeate the skin and give the bird such great flavour. Since it’s Christmas, I’d serve this with an asparagus salad, tomato salad and some roast potatoes.

Serves 4

1 x 2kg organic or free-range chicken
5 sprigs thyme
2 fresh bay leaves
10 sheets nori
4kg fine salt

For the salmoriglio
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly picked (it’s good to include some stalks as well)
1/3 cup oregano leaves, roughly picked (some tender stalks are good here, too)
1 large garlic clove (or 2 small ones)
3 long red chillies
150ml fruity extra virgin
olive oil
juice of 2 or more lemons
2 tsp salt flakes

1. For the salmoriglio, put the parsley and oregano on a chopping board and use a sharp knife to chop them together very finely, then chop them even more. Grate the garlic using a microplane if you have one; if not, chop it very finely. Don’t use a garlic press.

2. Remove the stalks from the chillies, then cut them in half lengthways and use a teaspoon to remove the seeds and membrane. Chop the chillies very, very finely.

3. Put the olive oil into a small bowl, add the garlic and chilli and mix until well dispersed. Stir in the herbs, then add the lemon juice and salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Once you think it tastes good, add a squeeze more lemon juice and another generous pinch of salt; the salmoriglio needs to be intense since it will be diluted by the chicken flavour.

4. Preheat the oven to 250C (270C conventional).

5. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Place the thyme and bay leaves in the cavity and truss the bird. Moisten the sheets of nori with a little water and lay them all over the skin of the chicken. Put the salt into a big bowl – it’s a lot of salt! – and pour in 2 cups of water. Using your hands, toss to combine, adding more water, a little at a time, until you have a mouldable mixture.

6. Make a 2cm deep bed of fine salt in a roasting tin that will comfortably hold the chicken and tamp it down. Place the chicken in the centre and insert the probe of a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Cover the chicken completely with the remaining salt, tamping it down so that the entire bird is encased.

7. Cook the chicken in the lower half of the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the thermometer reads 75C. Spread several layers of newspaper on the counter next to the sink. Remove the chicken from the oven and place on the newspaper, then leave to rest for 10 minutes. During this time, the internal temperature should rise to about 80C.

8. Crack the salt crust with a mallet or hammer. Carefully lift off the crusty pieces and discard.

9. Carefully peel off as much of the nori as you can from the skin, then cut the breasts lengthways into about 5 slices. Cut between the drumsticks and thighs. Arrange the legs on a large platter, cover with the slices of breast, spoon over the salmoriglio and serve.

Peach trifle with raspberries and sweet riesling custard.Credit: William Meppem. Styling by Hannah Meppem

Helen Goh’s peach trifle with raspberries and sweet riesling custard

I love a big, boozy trifle but loathe the unevenness of the alcohol-drenched patches of soggy sponge so commonly encountered. In this recipe, a deliciously sticky wine is built into the custard and the sponge is replaced by the sturdier Savoiardi or lady-finger biscuits. The result is an even-textured trifle, every mouthful rich and balanced.

The jelly, niftily made by tossing raspberries into the peach-poaching liquid, then setting it with gelatine, needs to be at a barely firm consistency before assembling the trifle. In a hurry? Place the bowl of liquid jelly into a larger bowl of iced water and stir gently until it’s just spoonable.

If you’re eating this on Christmas Day, make the trifle on Christmas Eve so that it melds together overnight in the fridge, leaving only the whipped cream and fruit garnish to add on the day.

For the riesling custard
6 egg yolks
110g caster sugar
180ml sweet riesling (or sauternes, tokaji, sweet sherry or moscato d’Asti)
300ml whipping cream

For the peaches and jelly
1 litre water
400g caster sugar
juice and pared peel of 1 lemon (about 50ml juice)
6 cloves
6 large ripe peaches
400g raspberries, plus 100g extra, for garnish
6 gelatine leaves

To assemble the trifle
120-200g Savoiardi biscuits
300ml whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp icing sugar
25g slivered Iranian pistachios, or toasted flaked almonds

1. To prepare the custard, fill a medium saucepan with water that rises about a quarter of the way up its sides, bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a medium heatproof bowl and place over the simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Whisk continuously for about 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is pale and thick. Add about half of the wine and continue to whisk until thickened again (about 2 minutes). Repeat with the remaining wine, and while the mixture is still pale and thick, remove from heat. Whisk for another few minutes, then set aside to cool completely before covering and placing in the fridge.

2. To poach the peaches, combine water, sugar, lemon juice, peel and cloves in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat to low and lower fruit into the simmering syrup. Cover with a piece of baking paper, then place a small plate on top to keep the peaches submerged. Poach gently for about 10 minutes, or until just tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peaches to a shallow bowl to cool. Pour all but 600ml of the poaching syrup over the peaches, and place the reserved (600ml) syrup back into the saucepan, together with the lemon peel and cloves. Add the raspberries and cook over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes, until they disintegrate.

3. Meanwhile, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water to soften (about 5 minutes).

4. Strain the raspberries through a fine sieve placed over a large bowl, then discard the seeds and pulp. Squeeze the softened gelatine to remove excess water, then drop into the hot raspberry syrup. Whisk to dissolve the gelatine, then set aside to cool slightly before refrigerating to a soft set. Stir occasionally so the jelly sets evenly.

5. In the meantime, peel the peaches and slice into 2cm segments. Place segments in a bowl, covered in their syrup.

6. When the custard has cooled, whisk the 300ml whipping cream in an electric mixer until soft waves form. Using a large spatula or whisk, gently fold half the cream into the custard, and once incorporated, fold in the remaining half. Place in the fridge to chill until you’re ready to assemble the trifle.

7. Choose a large, deep, glass serving bowl (3- to 4-litre capacity) and place a third of the barely-set jelly at the base. Gently lay the sponge fingers on top, breaking or cutting a few if you need to, to cover any gaps. Top the sponge fingers with a layer of the peaches (with just the syrup clinging to them), then spoon half of the custard on top. Smooth to cover the surface evenly with a spatula, then top that with another third of the jelly. Repeat the process of layering (reserving a few peach slices for garnish), ending with the third layer of jelly on top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, or overnight.

8. On Christmas morning, whisk the 300ml cream with the vanilla and icing sugar in an electric mixer until soft waves form. Spoon the cream onto the top jelly layer, then garnish with the remaining sliced peaches and raspberries. Sprinkle over the pistachio (or flaked almond) just before serving.

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