SPECIAL SECTION: SUMMER ENTERTAINING EMELIA JACKSON
COURTESY OF CATHERINE ZHANG
Blend old and new
Tradition for tradition’ s sake is a thing of the past. But combining classic with contemporary is a great way to create your own Christmas traditions.“ My dad is first-generation British-Australian, so he really loves those pops of [ English ] tradition,” explains baking maven and MasterChef champion Emelia Jackson.“ This year, we’ re pairing it with fresh, zingy flavours and seafood.”
Iconic chef and restaurateur Matt Moran agrees.“ We incorporate the old tradition of roasts – I couldn’ t get away from that because my kids like it – so I always do a roast turkey,” he says.“ We have beautiful seafood in Australia and we also have the old classics. We have the best of all worlds, so marry both together.”
Celebrate diversity
According to pastry chef and viral food sensation Catherine Zhang, it wouldn’ t be a true Australian Christmas without a multicultural element.
“ My parents are from a Chinese background, but we celebrate Christmas in Australia, so we’ ve got lobster and crab, but we cook it as a Singapore chilli mud crab, instead of steamed lobster. We make it our own. It varies so much from home to home,” she says.“ Australian cuisine is such a mixture of all cuisines … It’ s every cuisine you can think of and our generation embraces that.”
CATHERINE ZHANG
COURTESY OF EMELIA JACKSON
Focus on family time
“ Spending time with family is central to Christmas,” continues Zhang.“ There’ s a lot of half-prepared, part-cooked or pre-cooked products that are very easy to bring to the Christmas table. Costco is great because they have so many almost-prepared dishes that you can throw into the oven that come out simply stunning. It makes entertaining so much easier and you [ can ] add your own twist, like a different sauce or side.”
Jackson agrees, adding that there are some fresh ingredients that can be just as speedy.“ Seafood is perfect because it’ s all about quick, delicious and impressive; you don’ t want to be working while everyone else is drinking champagne,” she says.“ The modern Australian Christmas is more an all-day graze than a sit-down meal; it’ s more social.”
Know what works for you
“ I love cooking on Christmas day,” says Moran, voicing the passion of many chefs who enjoy preparing a feast for loved ones.“ I’ m up at 5am stuffing turkey, glazing ham, cooking goose … To me it’ s a special time; I find doing it myself really therapeutic.”
Jackson takes the opposite approach.“ I’ m a freezer queen; it makes everything so much easier,” she explains.“ I plan my menu around a dessert that can be frozen two weeks before – like pavlova.”
The same goes for an elegant choux pastry wreath.“ Bake the profiteroles and freeze them for around six weeks,” she advises,“ they come out of the freezer as though freshly baked.” >
18 | NOV / DEC 2024 COSTCO CONNECTION