Smoked salmon on buckwheat blinis

Makes
30

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups milk
60g butter
3/4 cup buckwheat flour, sifted
1/2 cup plain flour, sifted
8g sachet dry instant yeast
2 teaspoons caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, separated
200ml creme fraiche
1 tablespoon horseradish cream
2 tablespoons dill, chopped
300g smoked salmon, sliced

Method
Place milk and 30g butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat for 2 minutes or until butter just melts and mixture is warm. Remove from heat.
Combine flours, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Lightly beat egg yolks and add to flour mixture. Gradually add warmed milk mixture, whisking constantly to form a smooth, thick batter. Cover and stand in a warm place for 1 hour or until mixture has doubled in size.
Using electric beaters, beat eggwhites until firm peaks form. Gently fold through flour mixture. Melt remaining 30g butter in a microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM (50%) for 50 to 60 seconds. Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Brush pan with a little of the melted butter. Using 1 tablespoon of batter per blini, cook blini in batches for 1 minute each side or until golden and just cooked through. Remove to a clean tea towel. Wrap to keep warm.
Combine creme fraiche, horseradish cream and dill in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Place blini on a serving tray. Spoon 1 teaspoon of mixture onto each. Top with salmon. Serve.

Glazed Christmas Ham

Serves 10-12

8kg cooked leg ham
cloves, for studding

For the glaze
114ml fresh orange juice
5 tbs brown sugar
4 tbs Dijon mustard
5ml honey

Preheat the oven to 190C (375F). Remove the skin from the ham and discard. Score the fat in a diamond pattern. Stud a clove in the middle of each diamond. Place the ham in a baking dish lined with a few layers of non-stick baking paper.

To make the glaze, place the orange juice, sugar, mustard and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until thickened. Brush the ham with the glaze and bake for 10 minutes. Glaze again and bake for another 10 minutes. Repeat and bake for a final 10 minutes or until golden. Allow the ham to stand for 5 minutes before carving.

Crispy roast potatoes

Brushing the potatoes with a mixture of olive oil and melted butter gives them a golden crust. They taste great sprinkled with sea salt.

Preparation Time
30 - 60 minutes

Cooking Time
55 minutes

Ingredients (serves 10)

15 (about 2.5kg) medium coliban potatoes, peeled, halved
2 tbs olive oil
50g butter, melted
Sea salt flakes, to serve

Method
Place the potato in a large saucepan of cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly tender. Drain. Place, in a single layer, on a tray lined with paper towel. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush 2 large baking trays with a little oil. Combine the butter and remaining oil in a small bowl.
Use a fork to scrape the curved side of the potato lengthways. Place, in a single layer, cut-side down, on the prepared trays. Brush with butter mixture. Roast in oven, brushing with the butter mixture once, for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with sea salt to serve.

Notes
Time plan tip: Make this recipe 2 1/2 hours ahead. Transfer to a heatproof serving dish. Fifteen minutes before serving, place the dish in the oven to reheat.

Oven space tip: In step 3, cook the potato in 2 batches, 1 tray at a time, on the top shelf of the oven while the turkey is roasting on the lower shelf. Reheat in oven with the Balsamic-Glazed carrots while the turkey is resting.

Buying potatoes: The trick to crispy potatoes is parboiling them in step 1. Make sure you choose potatoes that are about the same size - this ensures they cook evenly and makes for better presentation. If coliban potatoes are unavailable, use sebago or desiree potatoes instead.

Allow 30 minutes cooling time.

Balsamic glazed carrots

For a simply irresistible side, dish up these bright baby carrots that are bathed in a brown sugar-infused balsamic glaze.

Preparation Time
15 minutes

Cooking Time
45 minutes

Ingredients (serves 10)

4 bunches baby (Dutch) carrots
100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
30g butter, melted
2 tbs balsamic vinegar

Method
Trim stems from the carrots. Scrub to remove any dirt. Peel.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the carrots in a large 3L (12-cup) capacity glass or ceramic ovenproof baking dish.
Combine the sugar, butter and vinegar in a small bowl. Pour over the carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
Bake in oven, tossing occasionally, for 45 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
Arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle over the glaze to serve.

Notes

Time plan tip: Prepare this recipe to the end of step 1 up to 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Continue to the end of step 4, 4 hours ahead. Fifteen minutes before serving, return the baking dish to the oven (with the Crispy Roast Potatoes) to reheat, then continue from step 5.

Oven space tip: Cook the carrots on the top shelf of the oven while the ham is cooking on the lower shelf. Reheat in oven while the turkey is resting.

Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients (serves 4)

5 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
200g mixed mushrooms, sliced (we used button, oyster and shiitake)
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 large chicken breast fillets, trimmed
1 lemon, rind finely grated
50g pecorino cheese, grated
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Method

Bring stock to the boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until tender. Add rice. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add wine and cook for 2 minutes or until wine evaporates.

Reduce heat to low. Add stock, 1 ladle at a time. Stir with a wooden spoon until all liquid has been absorbed. Repeat with remaining stock (see note).

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add chicken. Cook for 4 minutes each side or until just cooked through. Remove to a board. Thinly slice.
Add chicken and lemon rind to rice mixture with the last ladle of stock. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat. Add pecorino and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine (rice should be tender but firm in the centre). Spoon into bowls. Serve.

Notes

To reheat, spoon into microwave-safe bowls. Drizzle with 1/4 cup stock. Cover with damp paper towel. Microwave on MEDIUM (50%) for 4 minutes or until hot. The process of stirring in stock takes about 20 minutes. Adding more than 1 ladle of stock at a time will cause liquid to be absorbed too quickly, leaving the rice only partially cooked.