Ruth Pretty’s delicious festive feast

A LITTLE PLANNING, A TOUCH OF PREP AND — VOILÀ — A MAKE-AHEAD CHRISTMAS LUNCH MENU THAT LEAVES PLENTY OF TIME FOR HOSTS TO SPEND WITH GUESTS

Perfumed Punch

All is calm, all is bright when sipping this non-alcoholic drink.

500ml freshly squeezed orange

500ml apple and guava juice

500ml pineapple juice

60ml Monin pomegranate syrup

60ml Monin almond syrup

330ml ginger beer

8 lime slices

8 mint sprigs ice cubes

Chill and pour into a 2-litre jug and swizzle. If not serving immediately, hold back on the ginger beer. Pour over ice-filled glasses, add lime and mint. Serves 8

Cheese Christmas Trees

These are perfect with drinks and easy to make with a Christmas-tree cookie cutter.

250g flour 200g tasty cheese, grated

50g parmesan cheese, grated

125g butter, chilled and finely diced

½ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated, or ground,

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Spray several baking trays with baking spray. In a food processor, pulse flour, the cheeses, butter and nutmeg until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and process until the dough forms a ball.

Wrap and rest the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. On a lightly floured, cold, flat surface, roll the dough to 3mm thickness and cut out trees with a small Christmas tree cookie cutter (8.5cm). The first yield is 40—45 trees.

Gather dough scraps and roll again aiming for another 18. Repeat until all the dough is used.

Scatter cayenne pepper very gently onto each tree and bake for 10 minutes until pale gold. When cool, store in an airtight container or freeze until required. Makes 70—80 small biscuits

Chilli Prawn, Roasted Kūmara, Yellow Pepper & Pistachio Salad

1kg purple kūmara, peeled and cut in 2cm dice

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 yellow peppers, thinly sliced flaky sea salt black pepper, freshly ground

1 small red onion, finely diced

4 spring onions, white with some green, finely sliced

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons mint leaves, sliced

2 tablespoons coriander leaves and stalks, chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice

½ cup pistachios, lightly roasted at 150C for 4—5 minutes and roughly chopped

Chilli Prawns (recipe follows)

8 lime or lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 190°C. Toss the kūmara cubes in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 10—12 minutes until tender. Don’t turn the kūmara during cooking. Toss yellow peppers in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 4—5 minutes until tender.

Place cooled kūmara in a bowl with peppers, red onion, spring onions, parsley, mint and coriander. Gently toss together, then place on a platter.

To make the dressing, combine the extra virgin olive oil and lime or lemon juice, add salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle salad with dressing and sprinkle with pistachios.

Strew the salad with warm chilli prawns and garnish with lime or lemon wedges. Serve as soon as possible. Serves 8

CHILLI PRAWNS

50ml coconut milk

½ fresh red chilli, seeds and membrane removed

1 clove garlic, peeled

2cm fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon tomato paste

2 teaspoons lime or lemon juice

2 tablespoons liquid honey

⅛ teaspoon salt 3

tablespoons canola oil 32—48 frozen raw prawns, thawed,

shelled, heads off and deveined

¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt

1 teaspoon coriander leaves and stalks, finely chopped

PRAWN MARINADE

Place the first 9 ingredients in a food processor. Process with a metal blade until smooth and, while running, slowly add 2 tablespoons of oil until well blended.

Drain the thawed prawns on paper towels, place in a bowl and cover with the marinade. Gently toss together, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 220°C. Drain the prawns, toss in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and bake for 3—4 minutes or until just opaque. Sprinkle with salt and coriander.

New Potatoes with George’s Guacamole

Cutting new potatoes in half allows the surface to embrace the guacamole.

1.5kg new potatoes, washed and cut in half

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon flaky sea salt

⅛ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

2 tablespoons coriander and/or italian parsley, roughly cut

George’s Guacamole (recipe follows)

Add potatoes to a mediumsized pot of lightly salted boiling water. Return to the boil, reduce heat and set the lid ajar. Simmer for 10—12 minutes until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and set the pot over a very low heat for 30 seconds to dry. Remove from heat and add oil, salt and pepper. Gently shake to combine. Tip the potatoes into a serving bowl and generously dollop with George’s guacamole and coriander and/or parsley. Serves 8

GEORGE’S GUACAMOLE

This recipe is thanks to a good friend George, originally from Cuba.

2 ripe firm avocados, mashed to a chunky consistency

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 red pepper, finely diced

2 medium tomatoes, grated on a coarse grater, or peeled, deseeded and finely diced

4 tablespoons coriander leaves and stalks, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

½ teaspoon flaky sea salt

⅛ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

4—5 drops tabasco

Put all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir gently to combine. Serve within 4 hours.

Beetroot Salad with Horseradish Dressing

1.5kg medium beetroot, ends trimmed

1 bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

1 sprig sage

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

Salt and pepper to taste

12 stoned green olives

12 stoned black olives

1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved

12—24 basil leaves

Horseradish Dressing (recipe follows)

Place the beetroot, bay leaf, thyme, sage, vinegar, sugar and ½ teaspoon salt into a pot. Cover with water and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes or until tender.

When cool, peel and cut the beetroot into wedges and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pile on a serving platter and scatter with the olives (cut in half horizontally if large), tomatoes and basil leaves. Drizzle with Horseradish Dressing. Serves 8

HORSERADISH DRESSING

In a bowl, place 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish sauce, ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt and ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Whisk to combine then continue whisking while slowly adding 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.

Green Bean Salad with Cranberries

100g dried cranberries

100ml orange juice, freshly squeezed and warmed

3 tablespoon white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

¾ teaspoon flaky sea salt

8 tablespoons olive oil

600g green beans, trimmed

Soak cranberries for 5—10 minutes in the orange juice. Drain the cranberries, reserving 2 tablespoons liquid. Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt and reserved cranberry juice. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking until it’s emulsified.

Add the beans to a pot of lightly salted boiling for about 2 minutes until tender. Drain immediately and immerse in iced water. Drain again, add the dressing and toss to combine. Scatter the cranberries when serving. Serves 8 Honey-Glazed Pork Loin with Guava & Raisins

Ask the butcher to leave the belly attached to the loin but to remove the skin, leaving as much fat as possible on the meat. Keep the skin to wrap the loin for great crackling and easy carving.

225g jumbo raisins 60ml sweet dark sherry, or port, warmed

50g butter, diced

150g shallots, or red onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1½ teaspoons rosemary, finely chopped

1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated

2 tablespoons lemon juice

410g can guavas in syrup, drained and chopped (retain syrup for Pork Jus)

¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt

⅛ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

2.1kg—2.6kg boneless pork loin (with belly attached but skin off)

Honey Glaze (recipe follows)

Pork Jus (recipe follows)

To make the stuffing, place the raisins in a bowl, add the sherry and soak for 15 minutes. Melt the butter in a heavy-based pan over medium heat, add the shallots and cook for 4—5 minutes until soft, then add garlic and cook for 2—3 minutes or until soft. Add the raisins with their sherry liquid, rosemary, lemon zest and juice, and cook for 3—4 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and add the guavas, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cool.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the pork, fat side down on a board and cut in half horizontally to three-quarters of the way through the meat. Butterfly out so it is of even thickness. If not, cover with a plastic bag and, using a mallet, pound till even. Spread the stuffing evenly over the pork. Starting from the loin end of the pork, roll it like a swiss roll. Wrap the skin around the pork loin and tie with kitchen string. It can be placed in the refrigerator overnight.

Lightly grease a roasting rack with baking spray and place into a roasting tray. Add ½ cup of cold water. Place the pork seam side down onto the roasting rack above the water.

Cover the whole tray with lightly oiled foil (oiled side down). Cook for 1½—2 hours (dependent on the weight) until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 55°C, or, when a skewer is inserted, the juices run pink as opposed to red and the skewer is warm when removed. Brush the pork skin all over with Honey Glaze.

Cook uncovered for a further 30 minutes, basting every 10 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 68°C, or the juices run clear and the skin is golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and rest at room temperature under foil and tea towels for 30 minutes. Pour the juices into a small bowl, skim off the fat and add to the Pork Jus.

To serve, remove the string using scissors. Move the skin to a board and, using scissors, cut it into portions. Carve the pork into thick slices and serve hot with Pork Jus and crackling. Serves 8

HONEY GLAZE

Over a low heat, mix 4 tablespoons light floral honey such as tawari, 2 teaspoons grain mustard and 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest.

PORK JUS

750ml chicken stock retained guava syrup

300ml sauvignon blanc

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce

½ teaspoon flaky sea salt

⅛ teaspoon black pepper,

freshly ground

3 tablespoons cornflour mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Bring chicken stock, guava syrup, the pork pan juices and sauvignon blanc to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Add the vinegar and tamari, salt and pepper. Stir and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, add the cornflour mixture to the jus and combine for 2—3 minutes to cook out the cornflour.