Christmas Eve Feast – a (delicious) new tradition

Recipes for a Christmas Eve Feast

Last Minute Mignonette Dressing for Oysters

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp good red wine vinegar
• 1 – 2 tsp honey
• 1 small french eschalot – diced finely
• 2 tsp dill or parsley – diced finely
• pinch sea salt
• pinch cracked black pepper

METHOD

Mix ingredients together, using just enough honey to cut the acidity in the vinegar but not make the dressing sweet. Spoon over raw oysters. Makes enough for a dozen oysters.

———

Chilli Garlic Prawns with Tomato Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 3 – 6 prawns per person
• 2 cloves of garlic per dozen prawns
• couple pinches red chilli flakes
• olive oil, sea salt, cracked black pepper
• crushed tomato sauce [I used one from Eden Organics with nothing but tomatoes and basil, your regular pasta sauce would work just fine.]

METHOD

Peel and de-vein prawns, leaving tails on. Grate garlic and place in a bowl with a good glug of olive oil, the chili, salt and pepper.  Toss prawns in oil mixture and set aside to marinate for a little while.

Cook in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat for a minute or two on each side – turning once only.

Remove prawns from pan and without cleaning it, pour in sauce.  Warm sauce while mixing in any bits left in the pan. Pour sauce over prawns and serve with Garlic Rubbed Bread.

———

Garlic Rubbed No-Knead Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 1 – 2 slices bread per person
• olive oil
• sea salt
• 1 garlic clove

METHOD

Place bread under the griller [broiler] and toast each side for a minute or two. Watch it like a hawk, the minute you look away it will turn into charcoal.

Rub one side of the toasted bread with the garlic, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with the prawns.

———

Lemon and Dill Pasta with Oven Roasted Trout

INGREDIENTS

• 1 x 500g rainbow trout – cleaned
• 1 lemon
• a few stalks of fresh dill — plus extra for pasta, chopped
• olive oil, sea salt, cracked black pepper

• 250g pasta (we used wholemeal penne)
• Greek yogurt or creme fraiche, optional
• lemon wedges

METHOD

Zest lemon and reserve zest for pasta, slice flesh into thin rounds.

Preheat oven or bbq to 200 C [400 F]. Rinse and dry fish, season inside and out with a bit of salt and pepper, place 2 or 3 lemon slices and a few stalks of dill inside fish cavity.

Place a piece of baking [parchment] paper on top of a piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Layer 2 or 3 slices of lemon, a couple stalks of dill, the seasoned fish, more lemon slices, more dill. Drizzle with a bit more oil and seal up foil and paper into a pouch.

Roast on a baking tray in the oven or straight on the bbq for 15 mins or so until fish flakes easily with a fork – you can open the top edge of the packed to test it out, just be careful of the steam.

Remove flesh, discard bones and skin. Keep juices from the bottom of the packet to serve with fish.

Cook pasta according to package directions until al-dente. Drain quickly, reserving 1/4 c cooking water, and return pasta to pan.  Toss through lemon zest, extra dill and a Tbsp or two of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and add enough of the reserved cooking water to create a bit of a sauce.

Gently stir through flaked trout and juices from the roasting packet. Serve with a dollop of yogurt or creme fraiche and lemon wedges.

———

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

INGREDIENTS

• 2 strawberries per person
• 50 g chocolate per person

METHOD

Roughly chop the chocolate and melt in a double boiler over low heat until just a few chunks remain. Remove from heat and stir until fully melted. Make sure strawberries are very dry and dip into the chocolate. Place on baking [parchment] paper and refrigerate until set.

Alternately, slice strawberries and drizzle over the chocolate to serve. Even better, go buy them somewhere and let someone else do the work.