Make your Christmas one to remember with some alternatives to your usual favourites.
Salmon Fillets Wrapped in Bacon with Hollandaise
These salmon fillets are elegant and prepared in a flash. The key to quick hollandaise is having the butter bubbling hot when you add it
to the egg yolks. Once you have mastered this, there’s no going back. Dill is a favourite of mine, but tarragon or chives are equally as delicious.
4-6 tsp pesto
6 slices streaky bacon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
To serve, green vegetables
Quick Hollandaise
2 egg yolks
½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp chopped dill
Pinch salt and pepper
100g butter, melted and hot
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. If the fillets are thick, slice them horizontally. Lie them on a clean board. Spread some pesto on each fillet. Roll them up and then wrap in a piece of bacon. Secure with toothpicks. Place them onto a lined baking tray.
3. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until cooked through.
4. Whisk the egg yolks, mustard, dill, salt, and pepper until well combined. Add a little butter at a time while whisking. As it starts to thicken, you can increase the flow of butter. Add the lemon juice to taste.
5. Cook your chosen seasonal green. Serve the salmon on top of your vegetables with a good drizzle of hollandaise.
Spiced Pork Loin
Subtle spices, tender and juicy, this is great and fresh way to change up your Christmas dinner. If your piece of pork is a little bigger than you anticipated, it is delicious cold the next day. This can be done on a barbecue spit.
2 Tbsp oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp each fennel seeds, paprika, Italian herbs
1 bulb fennel, sliced
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
Warm Salad
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cups boiled new potatoes
½ cup chopped parsley
1 tin of drained butter beans
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 180°c. Line a large baking dish with paper.
2. Place the pork into the dish. Rub it with the oil and sprinkle with salt. Pour 1 cup of water around the outside, cover with tinfoil, and roast for 1 hour. Mix fennel seeds, paprika and herbs in a small bowl.
3. Remove from the oven and rub the meat with the spice. Place the sliced fennel and onion underneath at this stage. Return to the oven for 1 hour, until the juices run clear when pierced with a skewer. Or the internal temperature is 145°C.
3. Remove from the oven and add all the salad ingredients. Return to the oven for a further 30 minutes.
4. To crackle the skin, place the pork into a clean dish lined with tinfoil. Place under the grill, keeping an eye on it until crispy and golden.
5. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing.
Mango & Raspberry Pavlova
This pavlova has the perfect textures of crunchy on the outside and marshmallow on the inside. Top it with your favourite fruits – the more the merrier, adding vibrant colours and textures.
1 ¼ cups caster sugar
1 tsp corn flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp vinegar
Topping
150ml cream, lightly whipped
250g of raspberries
1 Tbsp icing sugar
2 tsp Cointreau
½ mango, sliced
½ cup pomegranate seeds
½ cup chocolate chunks
Icing sugar to dust
1. Preheat the oven to 110°C. Line a baking tray with paper and draw a 22cm circle.
2. Beat the egg whites until light and holding their shape. Add the sugar a tablespoon at a time over about 8 minutes. Add the corn flour, vanilla and vinegar. Spoon the mixture into the circle you have drawn and gently spread a little. Place into the oven for 2 hours, then turn off and leave to cool.
3. Place the pavlova onto a serving platter. Top with lightly whipped cream.
4. Mash half the raspberries with the icing sugar and Cointreau.
5. Decorate the top with the sliced mango, remaining raspberries, chocolate chunks, pomegranate and drizzle the smashed raspberries.
6. Dust with a bit of extra icing sugar just before serving.