Christmas Lunch Recipes

CHRISTMAS LUNCH RECIPES From the Wine & Dine’m Team

Searching for inspiration for your Christmas lunch? Look no further because the team at Wine & Dine’m Catering have your Christmas lunch sorted with recipes passed on from our families to yours. Afterall nothing says “Christmas” more than sitting down to feast with your loved ones.

LAMB WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

‘Tis the season for eating and this year our Event Manager Nick, is serving lamb with chocolate sauce. Yes, you read that right. Nick swears by this dish. He tells us that the richness of the sauce adds a kick to the lamb without being overpowering.

Ingredients:

• 1 2kg lamb shoulder roast
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup lamb stock
• 20g finely chopped dark chocolate
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 160c
• Coat your lamb in a roasting tray by brushing it with oil and then seasoning with salt and pepper
• Cover the lamb with foil and leave to roast for 5 hours
• Once the lamb has roasted, remove it from the tray and leave to rest on a rack, loosely covered by the foil
• In a new pan, add the excess juices from the roasting tray with the lamb stock and bring to a boil
• Cook the sauce down for 10 minutes
• Once your sauce has reduced, add a pinch of black pepper and the chocolate until melted
• Serve the lamb and top with the sauce

There you have it – a twist on a classic Christmas roast!

FLINDERS BEACH CHRISTMAS LUNCH SALAD

Christmas lunch isn’t complete without all the trimmings. Our Executive Chef Lincoln has shared his family’s favourite salad that they enjoy every Christmas on their family holiday to Stradbroke Island. This salad pairs well with seafood and roasts.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown rice
• 6 spring onions finely chopped
• 1 diced red capsicum
• ½ cup currants
• ½ cup unsalted cashews
• 3 tbsp dry roasted seeds (Lincoln suggests pumpkin, sunflower, almond and sesame seeds)
• 3 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup sunflower oil
• 2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
• 1 clove garlic fine chopped
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cook the brown rice and leave to cool slightly
2. Whisk or shake the dressing together
3. Add all your ingredients and dressing to a large salad bowl and combine before serving

Always make more than you need as this salad is even better on Boxing Day with leftovers!

CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Nothing feels more like Christmas than a traditional Christmas Pudding recipe that has been passed down through the generations. This recipe has been a Christmas staple in our General Manager Ammie Watts’ family for decades.

Ingredients for the pudding:

• 250g butter
• 250g dark sugar
• 350g raisins
• 350g sultanas
• 115g mixed candied peel
• 200g bread crumbs
• 150g flour
• ½ grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 3tbsp almonds chopped finely
• ½ tsp all spice
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp brandy
• ½ cup milk

Directions for the pudding:

1. Beat butter and sugar to a cream
2. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well
3. Continue beating as you add in the dry ingredients, then the brandy and the milk
4. Steam in a buttered mould for seven hours
5. Serve with hard sauce

Ingredients for the hard sauce:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• ¼ cup butter
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• ½ tsp rum

Directions for the hard sauce:

1. Place all ingredients into a basin and beat it with a wooden spoon until it becomes the same consistency of whipped cream
2. Serve over the pudding

We can almost taste the Christmas spirit!

MANGO MAGIC

Our Business Development Manager Anna’s, mango sorbet recipe is so delicious you’ll want to save room for dessert.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pureed mango
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup cream

Directions:

1. Blend the lemon, mango and sugar
2. Whip the cream
3. Add the cream to the mango mixture
4. Freeze for minimum 2 hours before serving

This refreshing dessert is perfect for a warm Christmas day by the pool.

RUM BALLS

She may be the newest member of our office team, but our Express Catering Queen Kate is winning everyone over with her rum ball recipe. These are a great little addition for any Christmas lunch spread.

Ingredients:

• 1 large chocolate cake
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup sultanas
• 2 tsp instant coffee
• 2 tsp instant cocoa
• 250g butter
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 1 tbsp rum (or more)
• Lots of chocolate sprinkles

Directions:

1. Crumble up the cake and add walnuts, sultanas, rum and instant coffee
2. In another bowl cream butter and icing sugar and add cocoa
3. Add the icing mixture into the cake mixture
4. Roll into little balls and roll across the chocolate sprinkles
5. Refrigerate and serve when hard

From the team here at Wine & Dine’m Catering, we would like to take the time now to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a safe New Year. We will be taking some time off during the Christmas period from the 23^rd of December – 6^th of January. We look forward to returning in January for a new year of events.