Creating the Ultimate Feast

From decadent duck to evocative cardamom, author and radio host Stacey Morrison puts together a deceptively lavish festive lunch that’s really quite simple

Merry Christmas! I ’m trying to convince myself it really i s Christmas i n eight days. Just single digits to a special day that I associate with whānau, food and ( fingers crossed) sun. Even though our team i s still on air and we are still i n ‘ work mode’ it feels l i ke there i s a sense of relief to finally finish this year and, with that deadline looming, the festive feeling i s growing!

I ’m very grateful for the unique position we are i n, to be able to gather together for Christmas parties while many people i n the world won’t be able to. I ’m also looking forward to celebrating Christmas Day i n a delicious way that won’t be too taxing; luckily this stunning menu from Pams provides the blueprint for a spread that will be a showstopper — with 10 i ndulgent dishes i n total, it really i s the ultimate feast!

Served warmed or cold this roast pumpkin dish pops with some surprisingly pleasing elements of roasted hazelnuts, fresh red chilli ( for a l ittle bit of heat) and fresh basil. What tied it all together were creamy dollops of ricotta whipped with olive oil. Whipping the ricotta gave it a delicate texture and the addition of a few good tablespoons of olive oil brought a layer of richness — I added a garlic i nfused olive oil which I highly recommend.

I ’ve been waiting for this season’s cherries; there’s nothing l i ke that sweetness, and they are perfectly plump this time of year. They make an exquisite glaze for a main that is guaranteed to woo your Christmas crowd... a whole roast duck! Now my understanding of duck i s that it can be an arduous process that, i f mismanaged by a fraction of time, can result i n the duck meat being chewy.

But I was charmed by this duck recipe — it roasted to perfection, the glaze caramelised beautifully, and the addition of the wholegrain mustard i n the glaze balanced out the sweetness of the cherries and the tart malt vinegar, genius! This piece- de- resistance of the table was devoured to a soundtrack of very happy taste buds.

Although duck can be a very rich meat this dish didn’t feel overwhelming, and that’s just as well because dessert was indulgent ( in the best of ways). I love the thought that has gone into these dishes because they look elaborate and time consuming, when in reality they are so simple — that’s my kind of cooking!

The cardamom tart was a testament to this. Prerolled short crust pastry, large Doris plums l i ghtly fragranced with cardamom, and a custard filling that tastes homemade. I also found myself mastering culinary skills l i ke the toffee shards that sit l i ke a crown on the tart. Round of applause from the crowd, a curtsy from me and a wink to Pams. Meri Kirihimete ki a koutou katoa — Merry Christmas everyone!

For all these recipes head to Viva.co. nz/ Pams