HAS CHRISTMAS COME TOO EARLY?
Don’t panic — here are five hacks to make putting a festive spread together the day before Christmas a doddle.
READY-COOKED HAM
If you haven’t got the gammon, don’t stress — just go the ready-cooked unglazed ham route. Glazing is the easiest part, so whipping it out of the oven with a flourish will be all the pizazz you will need on Christmas day. No-one has to know you didn’t cook it yourself!
Just whip up this easy glaze. Take a couple of tablespoons of smooth or chunky apricot jam or marmalade, a teaspoon of ready-made mustard, and a splash of boiling water. Stir well and spread over the ham. Cover a baking tray with foil (so there’s less washing up), top the ham evenly with the glaze, bake at 160°C for 2030 minutes, basting halfway, and voila! Get fancy and add drained canned apricots with a couple of glacé cherries, or else use fresh or dried orange slices secured with a couple of cloves. Ham is delicious served hot or cold, and it’s great for leftovers too.
WHAT’S HAM WITHOUT MUSTARD?
South Africans love the tang of sweet and sour flavours, and this mustard is a hit with both young and old. The beauty of this quickie is that it also makes a great lastminute gift idea. Decant the mustard into a cute small jar, tie a ribbon around the top, add a bow, and it’s done. Remember, homemade is the very best brand!
To make the mustard, take a 385g can of condensed milk and combine the condensed milk with 60ml (4 tbsp) of white vinegar and 10ml (2 tsp) of mustard powder. Mix well in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours to allow mustard to thicken. Spoon it into a pretty bowl and serve. This flavoursome condiment is great with other meats and sausages too.
TART UP SHOP-BOUGHT SALADS
There’s nothing like a couple of slices of ham served with potato salad and coleslaw on the side. Take a shopbought potato salad from blah to amazing by adding colour and crunch using a generous handful of one or more of the following ingredients: freshly chopped parsley, sliced gherkins, crispy bacon, chunky capers, and finely chopped red onion, celery, spring onion or chives. Sprinkle with paprika or, for those who fancy a little bite, cayenne pepper or chilli flakes. The perennial South African fave coleslaw is easily jazzed up with a handful of raisins, extra freshly grated carrot, and finely sliced red cabbage. Add a spoonful of orange juice and finely grated orange zest for extra zing.
COCKTAIL SAUSAGES
These nifty little pork, chicken or beef sausages can save Christmas — or any day, for that matter. They look great when cooked until golden brown, and can be quickly done in the oven or frying pan, or over the coals. And — best of all — everyone loves them. Give a ready-cooked BBQ chicken a Yuletide vibe by serving it on a platter surrounded by cocktail sausages. Alternatively, wrap each sausage in half a slice of streaky bacon and add a sprig of rosemary to it before cooking — giving you a festive colour scheme. Make a Christmas starter by adding some sweet chilli, BBQ or Asian plum sauce to the sausages in the last 10 minutes of cooking, before serving them with a big pile of serviettes. Or give the sausages that gourmet touch by placing a trio of them on a kebab stick and serving them with a dipping sauce.
SWEET CELEBRATION
Christmas just wouldn’t be right without a stunning dessert, and this one looks absolutely gorgeous and is so easy to whip up. A Choc Chip Cookie Celebration cake requires just 2 packets of chocolate chip cookies or a similar sweet round biscuit, cream, cream cheese, brandy (optional), seasonal berries, and icing sugar.
SERVES A CROWD
2 packets of chocolate-chip cookies or a similar sweet round biscuit
750ml fresh cream (3 cups)
250g full-fat cream cheese at room temperature
45ml (3 tbsp) sugar
30ml (2 tbsp) brandy (optional) or
5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
Cherries or berries to serve
Icing sugar to dust
1 Beat together the cream, cream cheese and sugar. Stir in brandy, if using, and cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 2 Spread a circle of chilled cream mixture on a pedestal cake stand, leaving an 8cm border so cookies are exposed around the edge. 3 Arrange layer of cookies over cream and repeat with cream mixture and cookies, making progressively smaller layers to create a pyramid. 4 Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight. The cookies will soften, so you will be able to cut the dessert like a cake. Serve topped with extra whipped cream and cherries or seasonal berries. 5 Lightly sift over icing sugar and serve. Add extra cheer by adding a handful of sparklers to the dessert and lighting them just before serving your creation.