Murdoch Books Test Kitchen - Christmas favourites: festive recipes from Australias top chefs

Contents

Let the festivities begin...

Celebrate Christmas with the favourite festive recipes from Australias top chefs.

From Pete Evans garlic chilli prawns to Frank Camorras braised venison and Adriano Zumbos sticky date macarons, Christmas Favourites presents a selection of beautiful festive dishes by Australias top culinary talent. Also included are 10 Christmas classics from the Murdoch Books Test Kitchen all triple-tested to make sure the only surprises youll have on the day come from under the tree.

Contributors include Neil Perry, Pete Evans, Frank Camorra, Adriano Zumbo, Bill Granger, Luke Nguyen, Tony Bilson, Paul Mercurio, Mark Jensen, Peter Kuruvita, and the Murdoch Books Test Kitchen staff.

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and discover some new family favourites to enjoy for years to come.

Clams steamed with jamn serrano, white wine & flageolet beans

fromNeil Perrys Rockpool Bar & Grill: The Collection

SERVES 4

This is a dish I eat at home all the time, and when I do eat it at the restaurant I do so without sharing it as I love it, love it, love it. Im addicted to the salty flavour of the sea, the nutty taste of the clams and the deep richness of the ham. We serve a lot of ham plates, so we use the end of the leg for dishes such as this one. On occasion, I have used jamn Ibrico, which takes it to the next level. Make sure your clams come from a good supplier as often they can be quite gritty. A welcome addition to this dish would be some strips of fresh squid, quickly sauted, then braised with the clams as they open, or mussels or pipis mixed in with the clams, too.

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) clams (vongole), purged

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 French shallot (eschalot), finely diced

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

60 ml (2 fl oz/ cup) white wine

50 g (1 oz) jamn serrano, finely diced

100 g (3 oz) tinned flageolet beans, drained

50 g (1 oz) unsalted butter

lemon juice, to taste

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, preferably with a glass lid, over low heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 2 minutes without colouring. Increase the heat to high, add the clams and wine, cover and cook, shaking the pan occasionally. Remove the clams as soon as they open. Discard any that do not open.

Add the jamn and beans to the pan, reduce the heat to low and stir in the butter. Season to taste with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Return the clams to the pan and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Roast baby beetroot, fennel and mozzarella salad

from the Murdoch Books Test Kitchen

SERVES 46

12 baby beetroot (beets), stems trimmed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 curly endive, trimmed

2 baby fennel bulbs, trimmed and thinly sliced lengthways

2 blood oranges, segmented

2 buffalo mozzarella, torn into bite-sized pieces

2 tablespoons hazelnuts or pistachio nuts, toasted, skinned and chopped

Mustard lemon dressing

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

To make the mustard lemon dressing, whisk the oil, lemon juice, mustard and honey in a small bowl. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F/Gas 4). Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Wash the beetroot and pat dry with paper towel. Place on the prepared tray and drizzle on the oil to lightly coat. Bake for 4050 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Allow to cool, rub off the skin and cut in half. Place the beetroot in a bowl and add enough of the dressing to moisten. Set aside.

Arrange the endive on a large platter. Scatter over the fennel, orange and mozzarella. Scatter on the beetroot and nuts, drizzle over the remaining dressing and serve at once.

TIP: If preparing the fennel in advance, place the slices in a bowl of acidulated water to stop browning. Drain and pat dry with paper towel just before serving.

Garlic and chilli prawns with blood orange and fennel salad

fromPete Evans My Kitchen: The Collection

SERVES 4

This is a slight variation on a recipe by my good mates Shadi and Veronica Abraham. This is my type of food three great ingredients with very little done to them to create what could be one of the nicest summer lunches or starters ever. The key to this dish is to source only the freshest ingredients available: if you cant get beautiful ripe citrus fruit or the freshest fennel and prawns, then cook something else. Blood oranges have a very short season but you can substitute other varieties of orange or grapefruit for them and you will still have an outstanding dish.

100 g (3 oz) fennel, about 1 bulb

4 large blood oranges

125 ml (4 fl oz/ cup) extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

800 g (1 lb 12 oz) cooked tiger prawns (shrimp) or other prawns, peeled and deveined, tails left intact

1 long red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

To make the salad, wash the fennel and discard the outer bulb you need to use the inner part/heart of the fennel bulb. Thinly slice or shave the fennel and place in a bowl.

Peel the oranges and remove as much of the white pith as you can. Remove the seeds. Slice the oranges in rounds about 5 mm ( inch) thick. Add to the bowl with the fennel.

To make the dressing, mix half the oil with 1 teaspoon of the vinegar and pour over the oranges and fennel. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle half the parsley through the salad to give it some colour. Toss to combine and allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes.

Place the prawns in a bowl and add the chilli, garlic and the remaining oil, vinegar and parsley. Season to taste. Toss to combine. Allow to marinate for 15 minutes before serving. Layer the salad onto plates, then arrange the prawns on top.

Spiced pumpkin soup with ginger cream

from the Murdoch Books Test Kitchen

SERVES: 46

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

teaspoon dried chilli flakes

750 g (1 lb 10 oz) pumpkin (winter squash), chopped