Hilary Biller and Jan Kohler prepared a festive feast at their cooking demonstration at Jan’s Cookery School in Dunkeld in Johannesburg last month. To take the stress out of the Christmas feast, they share their recipes and tips to take the easy way out of spending hours in the kitchen this Christmas.
Start with cocktails
Easy way out: If making your own is too much like hard work, there are a large variety of premixes available. Choose your fave, ensure it is well chilled – and chill the glasses for an extra flourish - pour into a glass jug, add a couple of fruity garnishes, and serve as guests arrive.
SPICED PEAR BELLINI
Serves 6
Ingredients
250ml (1 cup) cloudy apple/pear juice
60ml ginger cordial
5ml (1 tsp) whole allspice
1 cinnamon stick for cooking, and more to garnish
750ml bottle Prosecco or sparkling wine (for a non- alcoholic version, use half sparkling white grape juice and half sparkling water)
1 fresh pear, thinly sliced
A dash of lemon juice
Method
In a heavy-based saucepan, combine the apple or pear juice, ginger cordial, cinnamon stick quill, and allspice. Gently boil on the stove for about 20 minutes until the flavours are infused and the syrup has reduced. Set aside to cool and then chill in the fridge until needed.
In the meantime, thinly slice the pears. If you’re preparing these cocktails in advance, squeeze some lemon juice over them so they don’t discolour.
When you’re ready to serve, distribute the pear-ginger concentrate evenly between 6 champagne coupes or martini glasses. Top with chilled Prosecco, drop in a couple of slices of pear with a cinnamon stick for garnish, and serve immediately. Recipe Jan Kohler, Celebrations.
MAKE-AHEAD STARTER
Featuring the colour of Christmas, this starter won’t break the bank – you can leave off the prawns if desired - and it can be made up to two days ahead. The secret is to use good quality mayonnaise, no salad cream, and finish off with handmade Melba toast made with sliced white bread and easily made in the toaster and then dried out in the oven.
Easy way out: Instead of egg mousse, buy a readymade pate or mousse and spoon into decorative glass dish. If the flavour of chosen pate or mousse will work with the tomato layer, add that. To add some luxury, top off with ready cooked prawns. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with savoury biscuits.
DECADENT EGG MOUSSE WITH DEVILLED PRAWNS
Serves 8-12
Ingredients
For the egg mousse:
1 tablespoon (15ml) gelatine powder
75ml chicken stock or water
8 eggs, hardboiled, peeled and chopped
350ml thick, quality mayonnaise
1 tablespoon (15ml) anchovy essence/paste or 2-4 anchovies, finely chopped
2 teaspoons (10ml) fish sauce
A drizzle of Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons (30ml) capers, drained and chopped
A handful of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
A handful of chives, roughly chopped
½ cup (125ml) cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the tomato layer:
400g can of Italian chopped tomatoes
A handful of fresh oregano, basil or thyme, finely chopped
A pinch of sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the devilled prawns:
500g deveined cooked prawns, with the shells on (or use the frozen cooked ones with their tails on)
2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons (30ml) fresh lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons (5-10ml) Sriracha or chilli sauce, more or less to taste (optional)
Small handful of fresh fennel or dill, finely chopped plus extra to garnish (or use 4 washed lime or lemon leaves, finely sliced)
Salt and pepper
For the Melba toast:
1 loaf stale, thickly-sliced white bread
Method
For the egg mousse, sprinkle the gelatine over the chicken stock and set aside to gel. Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, anchovy essence, fish sauce, capers, parsley and chives and blend till fairly smooth but a little chunky. Add the cream and season generously, and blend again until just mixed.
Melt the gelatine in the microwave on medium for 1 minute then add to the egg mixture, and blend again until just incorporated. Pour into a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Combine all the ingredients for the prawns, add the prawns, cover and refrigerate.
Prepare the tomato layer by draining off half the tomato juice before combining with the herbs, sugar and seasoning. When the egg mousse is just set, spoon the tomato to cover the egg layer.
To make the Melba, lightly toast the bread and immediately remove three sides of the crust. Using one crust as the anchor, cut through the bread horizontally using a bread knife to give you 2 slices, toasted on one side, and remove the remaining crust. Cut each slice in half, forming 2 triangles and place them on a baking tray untoasted side up. Bake at 120°C until golden brown. This can be done ahead of time and stored in an airtight container.
Just before serving, top the egg mixture with the prawns and garnish with chosen herbs or citrus leaves and serve with the melba toast.
FESTIVE HAM WITH MARMALADE GLAZE
Serves 8–12
Ham is the highlight of the festive spread. With a variety of smoked gammons to choose from in store, select one big enough for a crowd with some leftovers – great for later making sandwiches.
No fancy cooking required. The gammon is boiled which can be done a couple of days beforehand. I find cooking the gammon in cola gives it a rich flavour and attractive darker colour. Remove the rind while still warm, cool and refrigerate well covered. On the day of serving remove from the fridge, glaze and bake.
Easy way out: If the idea of cooking the gammon leaves you cold, many supermarkets offer ready-cooked hams. Make it your own by glazing it just before serving.
Ingredients
1 x 4kg gammon
3–4l cola or water
1 onion, studded with 5 cloves
1 large carrot, sliced
1 bay leaf
A handful of peppercorns
For the glaze:
8 cloves
½ cup (125ml) marmalade of choice (or use apricot jam)
The juice of 1 orange or naartjie
1 teaspoon (5ml) mustard powder or ready-made mustard
Orange or naartjie slices or halves
Icing sugar
Method
Rinse the ham and place in a large pot, fat side up, ensuring it fits snugly. Pour over the cola to cover. Add the onion, carrot, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Bring to the boil and cook for 30 minutes per 500g, adding extra cola or water to keep the ham covered with liquid. Turn halfway through and in the last 30 minutes turn the ham to fat side up.
Remove the ham from the stock and place on a baking tray to cool. Gently remove the rind to expose the layer of fat. Evenly stud the fat with the cloves. Combine all the glaze ingredients in a glass bowl and microwave for a minute or two, stirring half way.
On the day of serving, spread the glaze evenly over the ham and bake at 160°C for 30 minutes, basting the ham every 10 minutes.
While the ham is baking, dust orange slices or naartjie halves with icing sugar and place in a hot griddle pan, pressing down to ensure it browns evenly. Turn the fruit and repeat on the other side.
Serve the gammon on a platter garnished with citrus slices and herbs of choice.
What’s Christmas without a turkey or chicken?
A big bird is central to the festive celebration. This year, selected retailers are selling 3-4kg turkeys which are great for feeding a crowd. If spatchcocked, it cooks in way less time and doesn’t dry out. If you prefer to use chicken, this recipe works just as well.
Easy way out: No time to roast a festive bird? Buy the largest ready-cooked chicken you can find, chill it and just before serving (using poultry scissors), cut down the backbone to flatten the bird. Warm it through thoroughly in the oven and pour over the gravy as per the recipe below.
MOROCCAN-STYLE SPATCHCOCK TURKEY
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 x 3kg turkey
100g butter, lightly softened and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 teaspoon (5ml) turmeric
1 teaspoon (5ml) ground cinnamon
2 x 2 teaspoons (10ml) ground coriander and cumin mix – one for butter, the other for the gravy
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons (60ml) runny honey
A pinch of saffron strands
3 tablespoons (45ml) boiling water
3 large onions, sliced
2 - 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
The rind, finely grated, and juice of 1 orange
1 cup (250ml) chicken stock, plus extra if required
1 tablespoon (15ml) cornflour, slaked in 30ml (2 tablespoons) water
100g flaked almonds, toasted
Method
Defrost the turkey in the fridge over two days, leaving it in the packet. On the day of serving, remove the packaging and rinse the bird. If there are giblets, place in a small pan and cover with a generous amount of water, bring to a simmer until just cooked. Drain the stock and reserve it for the gravy, discarding the giblets.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the turkey on a sturdy wooden board, breast side down and, using poultry shears, cut down each side of the backbone and remove the backbone and discard. Turn the turkey around, breast side up, and with both palms of the hands press down firmly on the breast to flatten the bird. Place the turkey in a big enough baking tray. Combine the butter with the spices and seasoning and, using your fingers, gently rub the mixture over the turkey.
Roast, covered with foil, for 20 minutes then reduce the heat to 160°C and continue roasting, without turning for an hour. Remove from the oven and brush with the honey and return for another 30–40 minutes until golden brown and, when pierced with a fork, the juices of the thigh run clear. Don’t overcook. When done, carefully remove the turkey from the pan and set aside, covered with foil.
Sprinkle the saffron strands over boiling water and set aside to soak. Place the roasting pan with the juices on the stove top, add the onions and garlic and cook over high heat until browned and softened, adding a splash of olive oil if very dry. Add the saffron and water, the reserved liquid from the giblets, chicken stock, orange juice and rind, and bring to a simmer. If too thick, add extra chicken stock or if too thin, thicken with the cornflour slurry.
Serve the turkey on a platter on a bed of brown rice couscous or quinoa – or roast potatoes – then spoon over the onion gravy, sprinkle with almonds and serve garnished with fresh herbs and Christmas decorations.
PHYLLO SPINACH AND FETA WREATH
As more people turn to a plant-based lifestyle, a Christmas meal should include a star veggie option, and this dish features a festive spin of deliciousness.
Easy way out: Keeping a roll of phyllo pastry in the freezer is handy because it’s so easy to work with and can be used for both sweet and savoury ideas. For a quick option, use ready-made frozen creamed spinach for the filling instead of cooking the spinach. Defrost and add the mint, crumbled feta, and parmesan cheese and use as per the recipe.
Ingredients
6 sheets of phyllo pastry
Melted butter, for brushing
400g fresh spinach
1 large leek, finely chopped
1 handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
3 rounds of feta (about 200g), crumbled
½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Method
In a heavy based pan, fry the leek in a little olive oil. Add the spinach and allow it to wilt down, then add the mint. Add the feta and parmesan while the pan is still warm to allow the cheese to melt. Combine the mixture and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 180°C and grease a pie dish or round baking tin. Brush three sheets of phyllo with melted butter and layer them on top of one another. Take half of the spinach mixture and spread it out evenly over the phyllo. Then roll the phyllo tightly into a sausage and slice the roll in half, lengthways. Next, create a braid-like formation by criss-crossing the two halves, one over the other. This will form one half of the wreath. Repeat to make the other roll of phyllo and form the second half of the wreath.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the pastry is crispy and golden. Recipe Jan Kohler, Celebrations.
SALAD DAZE
Grilled pineapple salad gives you the best of both worlds – the combination of fresh pineapple into a pretty salad featuring all the colours of Christmas. What brings it all together is the mildly sweet and spicy dressing.
Easy way out: Buy a ready peeled and sliced fresh pineapple and a packet of mixed green leaves. Add a bottle of readymade French dressing and add some muscovado or brown sugar and a mild curry powder – and give it a good shake before using.
Ingredients
1 pineapple, sliced
Maple or golden syrup for basting
1 red pepper, chopped
¼ cup sweet chilli sauce
Fresh coriander
Fresh mint
Salad leaves and microgreens
For the dressing:
60ml olive oil
30ml balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon muscovado sugar
1 tablespoon mild curry powder
Method
Start by preparing the dressing. In a heavy based saucepan, dry fry the curry powder until toasty and fragrant. Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar first and simmer until the sugar has dissolved, then add the olive oil and simmer until you have a thick, syrupy dressing. Set aside to cool.
The pineapple slices are best flame grilled, on the braai. Or do it in a grill pan on the stove top. Baste them with maple syrup while they’re on the fire and allow them to char a bit. It will take around 15 minutes before you start to see their colour changing. Turn them over a few times and once done, set them aside to cool.
To assemble the salad, scatter the pineapple and peppers over your greens, and shred fresh coriander and mint over the top – an absolute must for that burst of summertime flavour! Drizzle with the dressing just before you serve. Recipe Jan Kohler, Celebrations
PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN CHEESE BOARD
South African cheeses shone brightly in the recent World Cheese Awards in Switzerland. Dalewood Fromage Huguenot, Fairview Chevre Roue, and Klein River Gruberg received gold and Klein River Havarti, Klein River Oak Smoked Stanford and Fairview Paarl Rock Brie were awarded bronze so every South African Christmas should include some of these winning cheeses served with a selection of preserves to end the celebration on a high note.
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