SPECIAL SECTION: SUMMER ENTERTAINING
Holidays with
DONNA HAY
Australia’ s queen of Christmas on making the festive season your very own.
BY JANE DE GRAAFF RECIPES AND STYLING DONNA HAY
Donna Hay influences countless kitchens with her iconic recipes and food styling, and believes that no-one celebrates the festive season quite like Australians.
“ We’ re the nation of casual everything; casual entertaining, casual outlook to life... and Christmas has become one big grazing opportunity between swims,” she laughs, adding that our celebrations are inevitably led by our lifestyle.
“ Entertaining outside is so Australian,” she says.“ We reflect the weather and that’ s not the cold and the snow. We don’ t want to sit inside a formal dining room.”
The weather also influences what we serve and how we present it.“ The flavour combinations are fresher and more innovative,” she says.“ Australian cooks are great at creating new traditions.”
The other thing Australians are great at is styling with natives.“ We’ re decorating with Australian Christmas bush, rosemary from the garden and banana leaves. It’ s that lovely green, Christmassy look, but with more gum leaves,” she laughs. Hay’ s biggest tip for a relaxed Australian Christmas is to pick a few things and do them very well.
“ If you want to make a beautiful ham, then buy a gorgeous ham, glaze it and do that well with a few salads. I’ m not sure we need the ham, turkey and pork [ on one table ]… trim it back.”
With cost-of-living pressures a concern for many Australians, Hay says you can still be bougie on a budget – you may just need to create a twist on your usual festive fare. Think of it as an opportunity to embrace new flavours.
“ I made a big caramelised leek and gruyère pie with sage leaves on the pastry recently... There was a great response as it wasn’ t traditional meat, but was still decadent, delicious and looked the part.” >
For everything you need this festive season, watch these recipes and more in the Donna Hay Christmas four-part series, streaming on Disney +.
Blueberries 1kg Item 95222
Raspberries 250g Item 29559
26 | NOV / DEC 2024 COSTCO CONNECTION