Christmas Dinner Down Under

This was the second meal I had actually planned out a little in advance of everyone arriving. I wanted to keep some of the ingredients and themes that we often use in our usual Christmases, like turkey, parsnips, brussels sprouts and potatoes, but transform them into food more suitable for the expected summer heat.

The starter we only modified a little by using smoked Tasmanian trout, but we stuck to Philadelphia cream cheese (despite the outlandish Ozzie round pot!) on some focaccia left over from our epic homecoming meal on the 23rd.

For which of course we opened another bottle of bubbly! Next came the main meal, the big one, Christmas dinner! Which we managed to eat at a comfortable 4pm, which wasn't exactly planned, but wasn't unwelcome either :) The biggest variable was the BBQ'd turkey, a new experience for all of us...

We had booked the turkey a few weeks previously and asked the butcher to remove the main breastbone and leave the rest of the pieces intact, skin-on. So we were able to whack on a big stockpot of turkey stock for future turkey soup, almost immediately, and then laid the rest out on the BBQ, foil underneath and a few bacon slices on top. It took about an hour to cook, and then a few minutes to rest, and was possibly the best turkey we've ever had! Very moist and flavourful, with just a little smokiness from the BBQ and lovely crisp bacon to serve alongside. Not least because my oven wouldn't fit a whole turkey, I now can't imagine cooking it any other way.

To serve with it, we made:

• Soph's BBQ potatoes;
• Roast parsnip, beetroot and toasted pumpkin seed salad;
• Kiwi, avocado, tomato, basil and dill salsa;
• Stir-fried brussels sprouts with sesame seeds and soy sauce.

We also had cranberry sauce but unfortunately couldn't make our own, as I was unable to source fresh or frozen cranberries anywhere in the months leading up. Next time I'll get the family to smuggle them through in their hand luggage ;)

Usually to finish we have a Christmas pudding, no matter where we are or what we're doing. But the SO and I simply hadn't had time to make one this year, and weren't really sure that we would be able to face it in the heat. Instead, mum had a wonderful idea of soaking raisins in sugar and the strong sherry we usually use in the Christmas pudding for a few days, then serving them over vanilla ice cream with the sweet alcoholic sauce. A divine way to end a fantastic meal.

Trout in Parchment

I didn't feel like anything too heavy tonight, but I did want something nutritious to help me recover from the last traces of my cold. The lovely SO popped by the supermarket on the way home and the freshest fish on the counter were some rainbow trout. Eschewing my usual pan-fry, I decided to try roasting them in parchment, which gets you the high temperature of roasting combined with the moisture-retention of steaming. Simple flavours were enough tonight, with tomatoes and lemons providing a pleasing acidity to contrast the sweet pink flesh. We served the trout with Boulangère potatoes (another new dish for me) and some crisp steamed broccoli.

Ingredients:

• 2 fresh rainbow trout, gutted, scaled and cleaned
• a small vine of cherry tomatoes (10-12)
• half a lemon, sliced
• a few tbsp of chopped rosemary leaves
• white wine

Preheat the oven to 170 C. Line a roasting tin or tray with a big piece of baking parchment. Place the rainbow trout on it, and make a few deep incisions on the fattest parts of the flesh. Tuck the cherry tomatoes around the trout, and the lemon slices on top. Scatter over the rosemary leaves and splash in a half-glass of white wine - you can drink the other half...! Scrunch the paper closed over the fish, tucking it underneath if you need to. Don't worry if you pierce it, just wet the edges and stick it back together. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the eyes of the trout are opaque and the flesh is tender.

Smoked Trout and Asparagus

Yesterday I was very tired and just threw together a variant on pasta-with-something-delicious: roasted peppers, leftover barbecued aubergines, a good handful of some toasted pine nuts, parmesan and torn basil leaves. Collapsed in front of The Squid and the Whale and got an early night. Today was equally quick, using up a few things in the fridge before we visit friends all weekend - yes, that means another three days without updates!

I've mentioned before that the local fishmonger does a very good smoked mackerel. Last weekend when shopping for the barbecue, we actually arrived early enough to find that he also does a very good smoked trout. The first local asparagus have just appeared, so we bought one bunch. Tonight I make a simple salad with a potent dressing to contrast the smoky flesh of the trout, and some tiny roast potatoes (with rosemary and duck fat, mmm) to dispel the chill of this spring evening. Croutons would also work well; hopefully I will find some time to post my recipe here now that the weather is warming and I'm preparing salads more frequently.

Ingredients:

• 1 smoked trout (or other chunky smoked fish)
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• a few mild lettuce leaves
• a handful of chopped parsley
• juice of one lemon
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp good olive oil
• 1 tbsp capers

Set your potatoes or croutons going first. Skin the trout and tear into large pieces. Steam the asparagus over a rolling boil for 3-4 minutes, until bright green and al dente, then drain and run under cold water to reduce the temperature. Roughly chop the lettuce. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small pyrex bowl and give a good whisking to make a thick and powerful dressing. Serve the trout atop the vegetables, with the dressing poured over, with croutons atop or potatoes alongside.

Trout with Honeyed Almonds

The SO is finally back from the US, so I took the day off to catch up - we missed our 9th anniversary together by two days so this was lovely recompense. We wandered into town on an amazingly warm spring day, enjoying the sun in sandals and shirtsleeves. From the as-always excellent market, we picked up enough food for the next few days, including two trout from the fishmonger, a rare treat for a midweek supper. They were so fresh they looked almost alive, and when washing them it felt like they were trying to jump out of our hands!

Almonds are a classic accompaniment to trout; here I add a couple of extra ingredients which I recalled went well in the past. Don't neglect the basil; it really does add another dimension of flavour. This would work well served with pasta with a little crème fraîche, or wild rice, or even just a crusty loaf of bread. But after the sun went down, the day became a little cooler, and we decided to split a baked potato to keep ourselves warm. Any greens will do but we used the last of the chard, cooked for minutes in its own juices and pillow-soft.

Ingredients:

• Two whole trout, heads and tail-fins removed if desired
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 thin slices of butter
• plain flour
• 100g flaked almonds
• 2 tbsp honey
• juice of half a lemon
• a medium bunch of basil, stalks removed

Clean the trout thoroughly, then dip it in a tray of plain flour and shake off the excess. Heat one of the slices of butter and the tbsp of olive oil in a heavy-based non-stick frying pan, stirring to combine them as the butter melts. When the butter is just popping, lay the two trout in the pan. Fry over a gentle heat for 7 minutes per side, or until the flesh is cooked and falling off the bone.

When the trout are done, place on plates with your accompaniments. Wipe out the non-stick pan with kitchen roll, then drop in the other slice of butter. When this has melted, add the almonds and sautee until they are golden-brown. Meanwhile, combine the honey and lemon juice throughly in a bowl. Pout this mixture over the almonds and switch the heat off. Throw in the basil leaves and stir, allowing the liquid to reduce by about a third. Then pour over the trout, and serve immediately. A glass of white wine would not go amiss :)