How to prepare an Aussie and traditional Christmas feast

THE vexed question in many households at this time of the year is whether to go traditional or Aussie for the family feast on Christmas Day.

New traditions: This fruity cheesecake makes a delicious alternative to the Christmas pudding. Picture: Andy Rogers

THE vexed question in many households at this time of the year is whether to go traditional or Aussie for the Christmas Day family feast.

At this time the family barbecue comes into its own for many households keen to enjoy the great outdoors, and avoid a kitchen sauna.

There’s no right or wrong way to go. Just make sure you enjoy yourself.

CHRISTMAS CHEESECAKE

THIS is a delicious alternative to traditional Christmas pudding. As a serious and fruity dessert it is ideal for warmer weather.

Serves 10

BISCUIT BASE

1 packet gingernut biscuits

125g melted butter

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

THE FILLING

500g cream cheese, softened

185g sugar

3 eggs

200g mixed dried fruit (you can buy this already mixed, but I tend to use this recipe as an opportunity to raid the pantry and see what bits and pieces I have — I have used dried cranberries, currants and dried apricots, chopping the large pieces)

1 small packet mixed peel

1 tbsp rum

Whiz the gingernuts in a food processor until you have fine crumbs. Combine the crumbs with the remaining base ingredients and press into a greased 20cm springform tin. Put the tin in the fridge for 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Preheat the oven to 140C (fan-forced)/160C (convection).

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and creamy.

Add the eggs, one at a time. Stir in dried fruit and the rum. Pour into the prepared base.

Bake for an hour or until firm. Cool in oven with the door ajar.

Once cool, refrigerate overnight.

For an optional added finish you can decorate with chocolate curls.

READ MORE JEREMY VINCENT:

ZUCCHINI A VERSATILE VEGIE

A LITTLE AFRICAN FIRE

IRRESISTIBLE PEANUT BUTTER

TIPS FOR A SUMMER FEAST

SEAFOOD: Christmas in Australia means prawns. If you’re just planning on shelling and eating them, look for cooked prawns that appear bright with their antennae intact and eyes shiny. They should never smell fishy, but have only a slight sea brine smell. Buy what you need, and take them home quickly. Like most shellfish, prawns don’t keep, so if you’re buying ahead of time keep your purchases tightly wrapped in their original packaging and eat them all within 36 hours.

MANGOES: They might be the messiest of Christmas treats to eat, but are a staple in many festive homes. Their wonderful fragrance says summer like few other fruits. Choose firm, plump fruit with no wrinkles and ideally oozing just a little sweet nectar: this is the time to lift them to your nose and smell your way to perfection. Too ripe and mangoes take on a whiff of kerosene as their enzymes break down and the flesh browns. Best eaten, some say, in the bath, mango can find its way into summery cocktails or you can dice and add them to a salsa of diced red and yellow capsicum, cucumber and radish — great with prawns.

CHERRIES: The season can rush by, but cherries brighten any festival platter. Keep them in the fridge so they stay pristine. For an added touch to this week’s Christmas cheesecake recipe, why not add a few plump fresh cherries (pits removed) to the fruit mix. The juice will give your cream cheese a festive blush.

THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH

Youmight prefer to go traditional for your Christmas family meal. These are tips that might help you over the line (some of them also work for a casual barbecue).

WRITE A LIST: Check your pantry for ingredients that you rarely use. You may have some specialty ingredient left over from last year that is still inside its use-by date.

PREPARE all your vegetables for the traditional roast in advance — wash, chop and peel them and place in bowls of salted water the night before so they’re ready to go.

SAVE cooking time by parboiling your potatoes and parsnips the night before. This way you’ll get a delicious fluffy inside and crunchy outside.

BUY some disposable plastic containers. They keep all your bits and pieces separate and will keep you organised on the day. Prep and keep salad ingredients in them and throw everything together at the last minute. Good for any leftovers.

DON’T underestimate the value of allowing resting time for your meats or poultry. Rest for half the time you have cooked. If you have access to two ovens, use one to rest your meats and poultry in, otherwise use a sheet of baking paper and a tea-towel to cover your meats. Avoid foil as it will sweat, and ruining that pork crackle or crisp turkey skin.

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