20 Dishes I Love to Serve at My Australian Christmas

Christmas in Australia is a time to celebrate al-fresco with a table full of fresh and light dishes. I’ve long since abandoned my British Christmas in favour of the simple-life Aussie version–a table overflowing with salads, grilled meats, seafood and stress-free cooking. Why don’t you join me, wherever you are in the world…

After more than 20 years celebrating Christmas in Australia, I've collected a whole host of Australian Christmas recipes that I make again and again. From fresh summer salads and seafood to grilled meats and easy make-ahead favourites, these are the dishes that make my Christmas celebrations delicious and stress-free.

I've had plenty of time to adjust from a British to Australian Christmas - the two are very different. It's still a little strange that the sun's out in December but I'm not compaining! 20 years ago I made the mistake of cooking the bird and all the trimmings a couple of times, but quickly learned that I didn't want the stress of sweating like a prize hog on a hot Aussie summer's day. Instead I embraced the heat and adapted my recipe choices with cold and make-ahead recipes - a smarter move!

I can now sit outside with everyone else and simply whip out my pre-made favourites and serve with a couple of BBQ dishes - we're still celebrating with the special recipes, but we're not slaving over a hot stove in the process. Here are some of the recipes I've been honing over the years in Australia and the dishes that I make year after year because the people have spoken, and that is what they want! Merry Christmas everyone!

1. Fennel & APPLE SALAD

The salad I take everywhere - Christmas lunch in Australia can be a hot affair, and this salad works so well in the heat of the day. A sweet and savoury treasure that pairs so well with BBQ food and roasted meats. It's my go-to every year. I've given up trying not to serve or bring to lunch. Everyone asks for it, so why bring anything else?

2. AEOLIAN SALAD

For a sunny celebration, this salad is sunshine on a plate. From the sun-trapped Aeolian isles off the coast of Italy, this tomato salad has so much to celebrate. Sweet, salty and fragrant - the olives, anchovies and basil bring all the flavour I love. It's a simple dish to bring together too and pairs with just about anything. I especially love it with porchetta or a whole baked fish.

3. VITELLO TONNATO

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a giant platter of vitello tonnato - tender veal slices slathered in the most alluring and silky tuna sauce. I've been serving this for years during the holidays and the recipe I now have (i've been through a few) is as simple as it's ever been. This Italian classic is a perfect bring-along and always goes down a storm.

4. RABBIT OR CHICKEN LIVER PATE WITH SLOW ONIONS

I have been serving it during the Christmas holidays for years! I make it with rabbit livers when I can get hold of them, but mostly using chicken livers. It's a creamy light parfait with sweet reduced onions that pair so beautifully. Over some top-notch sourdough toast, they become the most delicious Christmas gift!

5. PORCHETTA

This is another stalwart at Christmas time, ever since travelling through Italy all those years ago, I can't help myself at Christmas. The soft, herb-flavoured pork with crunchy crackled skin is as close to the perfect Christmas as it's going to get. This is a great dish for the masses and if there's any left, makes for excellent sandwiches for Boxing Day!

6. GUNPOWDER POTATOES

I love these spicy, crunchy potatoes over the holidays. I especially love them to see in the new year - a plate of these as a finger food don't last long, but they're also a delicious alternative to duck-fat potatoes on Christmas Day if you want something a little different.

7. ASPARAGUS WITH SMOKED AlOILI

I serve this simple combination as a light starter - I'll whack down a few plates across the ever-expanding table and watch them disappear in minutes. Earthy asparagus is so good dipped in the smoky garlic mayonnaise. It's quick and easy and the perfect way to kick off the festivities.

8. Maroulosalata

Fresh is the way to go on the big day, my Christmas usually includes a few meats and a lot of fresh and cold sides. Nobody wants the stress of cooking everything together, so a pre-made stress-free salad can be a life saver. This Greek salad has ALL the greenery and a wonderful crunch and salty hit from crumbled feta. It's a big favourite for me, and pairs well with everything.

9. Cretan Dakos

A glass of Champagne and a hand-held Dakos is the perfect partner for the beginning of your holiday celebrations. These Cretan crunchy rusks are so simple to make with tart tomato, salty feta and a tart black olive on top. Keep everyone happy before the main culinary event and ensure they don't drink too much Champagne by keeping them occupied with these Mediterranean treats.

10. Roast Carrots with Labneh & Pistachios

There's something so delicious about the combination of creamy and tangy labneh (hung yoghurt) with the sweet charred flavours of roasted carrots. Pistachios round out the flavour and texture beautifully. This salad is great as a starter or as a side dish for meat and seafood.

11. Turkish Spoon Salad

BBQ food is so welcome at Christmas and a spoonful of this carefully diced salad bring a whole new level of flavour to meat and fish. Add a little to freshly charred prawns on skewers and it's pretty much the perfect Aussie Christmas bite.

12. Za'atar duck legs

Christmas is the time of year to bring out the big guns and this duck dish is one of my favourite dishes to serve. Luxurious duck legs and slow roasted with herbaceous za'atar until meltingly soft. Served simply with lemon wedges, they are often on my holiday menu and never fail to garner a small ripple of applause! Keep that rendered fat, and you'll have the most amazing herby duck fat potatoes the next day too!

13. Bagna cauda

This is my New Year speciality. Before the bells ring, I bring out this simple warm anchovy and garlic dip from the North of Italy, with crunchy vegetables or crusty bread to dip. It's excellent party food and the umami flavour is off the charts! If you have any left, it makes for an amazing dressing for cooked vegetables like red peppers, potatoes or artichokes.

14. Zucchini Alla Scapece

Sharp and summery, these zucchini are a great option for the holidays as they can be made well in advance - that means they're a good option if you're bringing a dish to someone else's celebration. Zucchini are dressed in a vinegar and mint and it makes for a wonderful accompaniment to so many meat and seafood dishes.

15. Circassian Chicken

I don't make this often, but each time I do I'm reminded just how much I LOVE it. Shredded chicken in a cold creamy yoghurt sauce flavoured with warming spices and walnuts are something very special indeed. It's the perfect topping for bread and a cooling start to the Christmas festival of eating!

16. Turkish beetroot & yoghurt dip

Mezze Christmas! I make this dip-style salad all year round, but it's especially wonderful over the Holidays. The sweet and fragrant beetroot is perfect for dipping and scooping with bread or crunchy veg. I'll serve it as a starter with chips or as a side dish for a larger feast as it works well with a lot of other dishes.

17. Spanish roasted red pepper salad

Part tapas, part side dish, I love to plop this on the table and watch it disappear in no time. Sweet peppers are the perfect partner to a big slice of porchetta or crunchy slice of bread. You can make them well in advance too and whip them out in seconds, stress-free. That's the kind of present I like to give myself at Christmas.

18. spanish pork ribs with sherry & garlic

These oven-baked ribs are the kind of dish I love to serve at Christmas as they can marinate for a day and then just tumble into the oven to cook to meltingly tender perfection. Packed with Spanish flavours they're fragrant and lighter than their American counterpart - which in the Aussie summer heat can be a welcome alternative.

19. sicilian spring onions & pancetta

Ever since I devoured these little treats in Sicily I've been serving them over the Aussie BBQ season, which invariably includes Christmas. They're beyond simple to make at home. Wrap up a thick spring onion in bacon or pancetta and whip them on the grill. A Sicilian version of 'pigs in blankets' I guess...

20. cypriot sheftalia

Christmas is about treating yourself (again and again), and nothing compares to juicy pork and lamb sheftalia sausages. I wrap mine in caul fat and to say they're mouthwatering is an understatement. I can't stop eating them, and they're the most amazing thing to serve in huge quantities on any Christmas table.

Make your life easy at my Australian Christmas and serve up some of the most delicious flavours from around the world, whether you're in Australia or not. Take a leaf out of my book and stop killing yourself over that hot stove and get into the party spirit with everyone else - it's the Aussie way! These recipes are just a taster of what I'll be eating this year, hope you join me with a dish or two. Happy holidays!

For more on my favourite recipes from around the world, discover My World of Flavour