IN A MULTICULTURAL COUNTRY LIKE AUSTRALIA, CHRISTMAS FARE CAN VARY FROM ONE INFLUENCED BY TRADITION TO A MENU THAT SUITS THE DISTINCTLY HOT CLIMATE IN WHICH IT IS CELEBRATED. EVERY FAMILY HAS THEIR OWN WAY OF MARKING THE OCCASION AND THE GEMLIFE COMMUNITY IS NO DIFFERENT.
We asked GemLife Chef Matt Conquest to share some of his favourite festive culinary delights and he came up with a cracking Christmas-inspired menu which includes a pork porchetta roast, nicoise salad with salmon, caper berries, and salsa verde cream, and a delectable white Christmas trifle. All are easy to prepare and will make a delicious addition to your Christmas spread.
Pork Porchetta Roast
Serves 6-8
Pork porchetta is a delicious Italian roast made with pork belly that’s been seasoned and rubbed with garlic and rosemary. The pork belly cut makes for a really succulent roast. You can alter and add any fillings you like from fig and pistachio to apple and sage. Matt prefers to keep the recipe simple and tasty with rosemary and garlic.
For the Pork Porchetta
2kg boneless pork belly from your butcher, tell them what you are making, and they can help
8-10 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp fennel seeds
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Olive oil
Butchers’ twine, ask the butcher if you don’t have any
Prepare the Pork Porchetta
- Lay the pork belly flat on a clean surface. Make sure the skin on the belly is scored or ask your butcher to do it.
- Combine the minced garlic, chopped rosemary, lemon zest, fennel seeds, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Mix well.
- Rub the garlic and rosemary mixture all over the interior (meat side) of the pork belly.
- Roll the pork belly on the long side. Tie it with butchers’ twine at regular intervals to hold it together.
- Pat the skin of the porchetta dry with paper towels, and then rub it with salt. This helps to crisp up the skin during roasting.
- Preheat your oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
- Place the porchetta on a rack in a roasting pan, with the skin side up.
- Roast for about 2 to 2.5 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 63 degrees Celsius. The skin should be golden and crispy. If the skin is not as crisp as you’d like, turn the oven up to 200 degrees Celsius and cook for 10-15 minutes to get the desired crispiness. You don’t want it lacking crackle!
- Remove the porchetta from the oven and let it rest for about 20-30 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute and keeps the meat succulent and tender.
- Slice into thick slices and serve on a platter.
Nicoise Salad With Salmon, Caper Berries and Salsa Verde Cream
Serves 6-8
Niçoise salad is a classic French salad with ingredients like potato, green beans, olives, egg and cherry tomatoes. It is often served with tuna or salmon as a dish. With this recipe, Matt uses salmon. For additional flavour, he recommends adding boiled eggs or quail eggs.
The salad can be made in advance to help with making Christmas day a little bit less stressful.
500g baby potatoes, cut in half or quarters depending on size
200g green beans, trimmed
4 Atlantic salmon fillets
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
200g Kalamata olives, pitted
100g caper berries
100g mixed salad, rocket and spinach
Salsa Verde Cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
- Start by preparing the salsa verde cream. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, olive oil, chopped parsley, tarragon, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine. Refrigerate the sauce while you prepare the salad.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until they are tender but not falling apart. Drain and set aside to cool.
- While the potatoes are cooling, prepare the salmon. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add a bit of olive oil. Cook the salmon fillets for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until they are cooked to your liking. Remove them from the pan and let them rest for a few minutes, then flake the salmon into chunks.
- Blanche the green beans in salted water for about 2-3 minutes or until they are tender-crisp. Transfer them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and preserve their vibrant green colour.
- To assemble the salad: Toss the potatoes with half the dressing (potatoes love a good dressing). Then, on a large platter or individual plates, arrange the salad greens and then potatoes in the centre. Then layer in the steamed green beans, cherry tomatoes, olives, caper berries and salmon to get a nice colourful layered salad. Drizzle the remaining salsa verde cream over the salad.
- The ingredients and quantities can be adjusted to suit your preferences, like salmon for tuna or add anchovies or white anchovies. This salad is both visually appealing and bursting with flavour, making it a perfect dish for Christmas Day.
White Christmas Trifle
Serves 6-8
White Christmas trifle is a delightful dessert that’s perfect for the holiday season. It combines the flavours of a classic white Christmas slice with the creamy goodness of a trifle. This trifle can be made in individual glasses or made in a trifle stand for all to enjoy.
For the White Christmas layer
200g white chocolate, chopped
2 cups Rice Bubbles
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup mixed dried fruit, such as raisins, cranberries, and chopped apricots
395g can of sweetened condensed milk
For the trifle layers
1 litre of vanilla custard
1 pack of your favourite jelly
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
500g of sponge cake
1 pack mini marshmallows
Fresh berries, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, for the layers and garnish
For the top
Additional whipped cream
Toasted coconut flakes
Mini marshmallows
Ferrero Rocher, chocolate and coconut varieties
White chocolate shavings
Start by making the White Christmas layer
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the Rice Bubbles, desiccated coconut, mixed dried fruit.
- In a separate microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate in 20-30 second intervals, stirring between each interval until smooth.
- Add the melted white chocolate and sweetened condensed milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Pour this mixture into a lined baking dish and press it down firmly.
- Allow it to set in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or until it’s firm. Once set, cut it into shapes (stars or Christmas trees). Cut the rest into small cubes or break it into chunks.
Prepare the trifle layer
- In a trifle dish or individual trifle glasses, start by layering a portion of the white chocolate Christmas mixture.
- Follow with a layer of sponge cake. You can optionally drizzle a bit of sherry or liqueur on the cake layer if desired.
- Spoon a layer of vanilla custard over the cake layer.
- Add a layer of whipped cream on top of the custard and then your soft set jelly.
- Repeat the layers until the trifle dish is filled, ending with a layer of whipped cream.
To finish, add the topping
- Garnish the top with more white chocolate shapes, whipped cream, Ferrero Rocher, assorted summer berries, coconut flakes, and white chocolate shavings.
- This dessert is a beautiful and delicious addition to your holiday table, combining the sweetness of White Christmas with the richness of trifle. Make this the day before for a hassle-free Christmas dessert. Enjoy!