Pavlova for a crowd
Char siu glazed smoked ham
1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). If you have a shank end half ham, using a sharp knife, score the rind about 10cm from the end of the leg then remove rind by running your thumb under the skin then carefully pull away the rind, leaving the fat intact. Score the fat at 3cm intervals just through the surface of the top fat. 2 Place the ham on a rack in a large roasting pan lined with baking paper. 3 Combine ¼ cup of char siu sauce, 2 tablespoons of sweet chilli sauce and 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger in a small bowl. Brush the ham with half the glaze and cook for 30 minutes; brush with remaining glaze and cook for a further 25 minutes or until browned. 4 Serve with Fresh Pineapple Salsa.
Fresh pineapple salsa
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS PREP TIME 15 MINUTES ½ medium (600g) fresh pineapple, chopped finely 2 fresh small red chillies, seeded, sliced finely ½ small (50g) red onion, chopped ¼ cup each lightly packed small coriander and mint leaves 1 teaspoon finely grated lime rind 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Not suitable to freeze or microwave.
Grilled corn salad with mint
SERVES 8 PREP AND COOK TIME 20 MINUTES 4 cobs corn, husks intact 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup (20g) finely grated pecorino cheese ¼ cup loosely packed small mint leaves 1 Add corn to a large pan of boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. Drain, then run under cold water. When cool enough to handle, peel away husks and silks. 2 Brush corn with oil; grill corn on a preheated barbecue or griddle pan over high heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred. Remove from pan and cool. 3 Remove kernels from cobs and place onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper. 4 Just before serving, sprinkle with cheese and mint leaves. Not suitable to freeze or microwave.
Creamy cauliflower bake
SERVES 8 PREP AND COOK TIME 45 MINUTES 1 small to medium (1.2kg) cauliflower, sliced 1½ cups (375ml) cream 3 sprigs fresh thyme 1 clove garlic, sliced thinly 1 cup (125g) finely grated gruyère cheese ½ cup (40g) finely grated parmesan 1 egg yolk ½ cup (35g) coarse fresh breadcrumbs 30g butter, melted 1 Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fanforced). Grease an 8-cup/2-litre ovenproof dish. Lay cauliflower slices slightly overlapping in dish. 2 Place cream, thyme and garlic into a small saucepan. Heat until just below boiling; remove from heat and stir in two-thirds of the cheeses and egg yolk.
Pour evenly over cauliflower. 3 Combine breadcrumbs and melted butter in a medium bowl, toss to coat. Sprinkle over cauliflower and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Not suitable to freeze or microwave.
SERVES 20 PREP AND COOK TIME 25 MINUTES
1 cup (220g) white sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 egg white 100g pretzels 900ml cream 3 teaspoons vanilla bean paste 1kg pavlova 1 cup (320g) lemon curd 125g redcurrants, if available (or use blueberries) 500g cherries, halved 1 Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). 2 Combine sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. 3 Place egg white in a large bowl and beat until frothy. Toss the pretzels in egg white to coat then toss in sugar mixture. Brush lightly to remove excess sugar. 4 Place pretzels on oven trays lined with baking paper. Bake for 20 minutes or until dry and crisp. Cool on trays. 5 Place cream and vanilla in a large bowl and beat until soft peaks form. 6 Top pavlova with whipped cream mixture and dollops of lemon curd. Top with redcurrants, cherries and some of the sugar-coated pretzels. Not suitable to freeze or microwave.