Brisbane’s best chefs share their favourite Christmas recipes

Scroll through the gallery above for recipes from Matt Moran, Patrick Carlos (pictured), Richard Ousby, Richard Mellor, Steven Jones, Craig Watson, Javier Codina, Sean Collins, Sharyn Gratton and Daniel Gough!

Matt Moran's Ham

"Every year I bake at least a dozen hams for friends and family," says the legendary chef and ARIA owner.

"Over the years these prized hams have become a joint culinary collaboration between myself and my brother-in-law, Peter, as the recipe for the glaze is his beloved family recipe. The key to this recipe is to make sure that you evenly cover the ham with the glaze, and to use the finest quality Canadian maple syrup which is not too sweet but blends harmoniously with the piquancy of the mustard powder and cider vinegar."

Ingredients

1 leg good quality ham

30 cloves, whole

250g brown sugar

2 teaspoons mustard powder

60ml cider vinegar

60ml maple syrup

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Remove the skin from the ham, leaving the fat on. Score the fat with a knife in a criss-cross pattern and then place the cloves into the corners of the grooves.

Mix together the sugar, mustard, vinegar and maple syrup and then brush evenly over the ham.

Bake in the oven for approximately 45 minutes or until heated through and golden brown, basting four or five times during cooking. Remove the ham from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Patrick Carlos' Lechon Liempo (Filipino-style Roasted Pork Belly)

Patrick Carlos, Executive Chef of the Garden Grille Restaurant at The Glen Hotel and Suites, grew up in the Philippines and says it was his grandmother who instilled a love for cooking in him.

Chef Carlos is no stranger to big kitchens and a large variety of cuisines, but when he's at home, he prefers to keep it simple.

In the Philippines, Noche Buena, celebrated on Christmas Eve, is often the biggest feast for the Christmas season. Lechon (roast pork) is one of the traditional dishes served.

Ingredients

4 tbs olive oil

2 tbs minced garlic

2 tbs salt

1 tbs white vinegar

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 (5 lb) piece of pork belly, skin on

1 disposable foil pan

Method

1. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, garlic, salt, vinegar, and black pepper.

2. Lay pork belly on a cutting board skin-side down. Score flesh diagonally about every 2 inches. Repeat in opposite direction, creating a diamond pattern. Spread garlic mixture evenly all over flesh.

3. Roll pork into a cylinder and tie tightly with butcher twine about every inch.

4. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on either side of the charcoal grate and place a foil pan between the two piles of coals. Cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Run spit of the rotisserie through middle of pork and secure ends with rotisserie forks. Place on the rotisserie, cover, and cook at medium heat until skin has darkened and crisped and pork registers 160°F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the meat (this should take about three hours, replenishing coals to maintain temperature as needed). Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes. Remove spit, slice, and serve.

Image credit: Joshua Bousel.

Richard Ousby's Bourbon and Peach Glazed Ham

Richard Ousby, Head Chef at Stokehouse, didn't have to think too hard when we asked him for his favourite Christmas recipe. How can you go past a great glazed ham?

Ingredients

1 leg ham (local is the best bet)

1/2 cup of honey

1 cup of bourbon (can use spiced rum as an alternative)

300 ml of peach juice or nectar

500 ml of chicken stock

2 tbs of Dijon mustard

3 fresh peaches roughly chopped

1 stick of cinnamon

1 hand full of cloves

Method

1. Mix together all ingredients except the ham.

2. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line a large baking dish with 2 layers of non-stick baking paper. Remove all other shelves from oven.

3. Use a sharp knife to cut around the shank and remove the skin, making sure you keep all the fat intact.

4. Score the fat in a diamond pattern, about 5mm deep. Stud the centres of the diamonds with cloves. Transfer to the baking dish.

5. Pour all the glaze over the ham. Bake, basting with glaze every 15 minutes, for 1 hour 30 minutes.

6. Place on a serving platter and serve the glaze with peaches still in on the side.

Steven Jones' Wagyu Rump with garlic butter prawns

Steven Jones, Executive Chef at the Treasury Casino & Hotel, is always keen to throw a Wagyu Rump and garlic butter prawn on the barbie.

Ingredients (for 4 people)

4 150g Wagyu Rump steaks

12 large U10 prawns of choice (Endeavour, Banana or King)

3 cloves of garlic

Small packet of parsley from your grocer

250g salted butter

4 whole tomatoes

2 whole lemons (and/or limes if you prefer)

100ml good quality pure olive oil

Salad leaves of choice

10 black peppercorns

20g sea salt

20g ground black pepper

Method

Note: Get your butcher to cut the meat for you if you are not confident, as the thickness and size is important for the cooking process.

1. Place the garlic in the olive oil and lay in a small oven proof bowl in the oven on a low temperature so it cooks the bitterness out of the garlic slowly, without colouring the oil or garlic. At 100°C, it will take approximately 20 minutes.

2. Soften butter by leaving out. Once this is done, chop your parsley fine with the braised garlic and season with a little salt and pepper. This can be done in advance and kept in your fridge. Once mixed, lay the garlic butter on a long piece of cling film in the centre and roll it up to form a shape like a sausage with no air pockets. This will help with presentation later.

3. The prawns need to have head and shell intact. Make sure they are fresh, not too strong in smell, and eyes undamaged. For best results, trim the legs off with scissors but don't damage anywhere else.

4. Put a drizzle of oil from the garlic on the prawns the night before and the rest on the beef with the peppercorns.

5. Barbecue the beef to your desired style: rare, medium or well done (no more than medium is best for Wagyu). Put the prawns on for 3-4 minutes each side to make sure the heat gets into the large prawns as they are in their shells.

6. Cut the lemons and tomatoes and optional limes in half and cook them on the barbecue for another element to the dish. The caramelised flavour takes away the bitterness and it becomes more like a dressing on its own for the salad and the seafood and helps digest rich foods like grain fed beef.

7. Using the salad as a bed, serve beef and prawns together (or separate if preferred for your party) and top with a small amount of garlic butter.

Sean Collins' Braised Lamb Shank

Sean Collins from the Novotel Brisbane is a sucker for a good lamb shank at Christmastime, and so are we. This one comes complete with Japanese pumpkin, Kipfler potato and truss tomatoes.

Ingredients (for 4 people)

4 lamb shanks (French trimmed)

1kg Japanese pumpkin

350g Kipfler potatoes

1 punnet cherry tomatoes on the vine

50g parsley bunch

50g salt sea flakes

10g cracked black pepper

100g fresh peeled garlic

100ml extra virgin olive oil

300ml Morris red wine

50g French shallots

100g unsalted butter

1L lamb stock

50g baby watercress

0.12 mint bunch

10g paprika

0.12 rosemary bunch

Method

1. Lightly coat trimmed lamb shanks with olive oil; season with salt, pepper and sweet paprika.

2. Place a thick bottomed pan over medium heat and lightly brown the shanks; add sliced French shallots and half of the crushed garlic and picked rosemary and lightly colour. Add red wine to deglaze pan and then add lamb stock, bring to a gentle simmer and cover. Allow shanks to cook until tender and meat is about to fall from the bone.

3. To make the sauce, remove cooked shanks from the pot and remove meat from the bone, set aside and keep warm. Turn up the heat on the remaining liquid and reduce until it starts to thicken, whisk in 50g diced butter until dissolved. Adjust seasoning and serve.

4. Remove seeds and cut Japanese pumpkin into 6cm thick wedges, coat in olive oil and the remainder of the crushed garlic, sweet paprika and season with salt flakes and cracked black pepper. Place onto a grease proof lined oven tray and roast on a low heat (140°C) for 35-40 minutes to slowly cook. Place lightly oiled and seasoned truss tomatoes on the same tray for the last 5 minutes of cooking to blister.

Wash Kipfler potatoes and place in salted water together with mint sprigs, bring to the simmer and cook to the point.

Heat a sauté pan and add the remainder of the butter and olive oil, once hot add halved Kipfler potatoes and lightly colour; finish with chopped parsley and seasoning to taste.

To serve, place roasted pumpkin wedges upright on warmed serving plates, arrange sautéed potatoes at the base of the pumpkin, place pulled lamb meat over the pumpkin. Nape the lamb with sauce and garnish with blistered tomatoes and baby watercress.

Javier Codina's Hervey Bay Snapper ceviche with orange dressing and raspberries

When we asked Moda Restaurant's Javier Codina to share his favourite Christmas / summer recipe, he didn't hesitate to put this one forward.

Ingredients (for 4 people)

200g Hervey Bay snapper fillets

Ceviche

4 large golden shallots, finely sliced

1 orange, zested, juiced

50ml white wine vinegar

50ml extra virgin olive oil

4 sprigs lemon thyme

2 bay leaves

Maldon salt — to taste

Garnish

Micro-herbs (or finely chopped parsley)

1 punnet raspberries

Method

Finely slice the fish fillets into mouth size portions. Refrigerate.

Peel and finely slice golden shallots. Reserve.

Zest the orange and juice.

Into a flat bowl or tray add the orange juice, vinegar and olive oil.

Onto these liquids, place the golden shallots, thyme, bay leaves and salt.

Place the sliced fish fillets onto the shallots and herbs.

Cover with cling wrap.

Refrigerate for minimum of two hours then remove the bay leaves and thyme.

To serve, place onto serving platters or plates then garnish with raspberries and micro-herbs.

Craig Watson's Tipsy Yule Log

The Yule Log is a must at any British Christmas dinner. Craig Watson, Head Chef at Pig 'N' Whistle Riverside, gives it a funky twist.

Ingredients

30g plain flour

30g cocoa powder

1/4tsp of salt

3 large eggs, separated

1/4tsp of cream of tartar

110g caster sugar

2 drops almond essence

For the buttercream filling

100g butter

150g icing sugar

55g / 2 oz cocoa powder

25ml brandy

Caster sugar for dusting

Cocoa powder for sifting

Method

1.Preheat the oven to 180°C. Greace a 23cm x 33cm Swiss roll tin and line with baking paper.

2. To make the sponge: Sift the flour, cocoa and salt together and set aside. Sprinkle a large piece of greaseproof paper with caster sugar and set aside.

3. Put the egg whites in a clean bowl and whisk until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and whisk until stiff.

4. Place the sugar in a bowl and the egg yolks and whisk until pale and thick. Add the almond essence.

5. Using a large metal spoon stir in the reserved flour and cocoa mixture. Finally, lightly fold in the egg whites until well blended — take care not to beat the air out of the mixture.

6. Spoon the mixture into the Swiss roll tin and level the top. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until sponge-like to the touch.

7. Turn the sponge onto the greaseproof paper dusted with caster sugar. Peel away the baking paper and roll the sponge with the greaseproof paper inside. Leave to cool.

8. For the buttercream, beat the butter in a mixing bowl until smooth and then gradually beat in the icing sugar and cocoa powder. Add the brandy and mix well.

9. Once the sponge has cooled unroll it carefully and spread it with half the filling and roll it up again — without the greaseproof paper this time.

10. Spread the rest of the filling over the cake to cover it. Score it with a fork to resemble a log and dust with cocoa powder. Decorate with a sprig of holly.

Sharyn Gratton's Fig & Ginger Puddings

Sharyn Gratton, Executive Sous Chef at Bistro Allure, gets right into the Christmas spirit with this one.

Ingredients (makes 10)

340g figs chopped

2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

100g grated ginger

2.5 cups boiling water

120g unsalted butter

1.5 cup castor sugar, or brown sugar

4 eggs

340g self-raising flour

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C and grease 10 ramekins (1 cup size). Mix figs and bicarbonate of soda and ginger together. Pour over water and leave to stand.

Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Fold flour in gently, then stir in date mixture and vanilla and pour into prepared mould. Bake in centre of oven for 30-40 minutes until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool for 5 minutes.

If you have time, let the mix brew overnight as this will make the puddings even fluffier!

Brandy and caramel sauce

Ingredients

200g brown sugar

100g butter

45ml brandy

1 cup cream

Method

Heat sauce pan, add brandy and let the alcohol burn for 5 seconds. Add the butter and allow to melt, then add the brown sugar and let dissolve completely before adding the cream.

Bring this to the boil and simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Richard Mellor's Spiced Sticky Date Pudding

Richard Mellor, Executive Chef at Palettes Restaurant at The Sebel Brisbane, is a sucker for this Christmas classic.

Ingredients

210g chopped pitted dates

250ml boiled water

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

100g butter, chopped

135g dark muscovado sugar

2 eggs

150g self-raising flour

1/2tsp ground ginger

1/2tsp ground cinnamon

2tsp finely grated ginger

50g sultanas

50g currents

20ml brandy

Toffee sauce

150g butter

250ml cream

265g brown sugar

50g golden syrup

Method

Place dates, bicarbonate of soda and brandy into a bowl. Pour over boiling water. Allow to stand for 20 minutes.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Using a large metal spoon, fold through date mixture and flour until well combined. Mix in the spices and the sultanas and currents.

Spoon mixture into prepared cake pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn onto a plate.

For the sauce

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until sauce comes to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Serve with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Daniel Gough's Bavarois

Daniel Gough, Executive Chef at Novotel Brisbane Airport's Catalina Restaurant, can't let a Christmas pass by without cooking this classic French dessert.

Ingredients

500ml egg nog

5 whole eggs

5 sheets Gelatine

500ml thickened cream

150g caster sugar

Method

Heat eggnog to a simmer.

Cream the sugar and eggs to pale.

Soften the gelatin in some water then squeeze the excess water out.

Add the hot eggnog to the egg and sugar mix.

Add gelatin to egg mix and dissolve.

Cool in a container until just about set.

Whip cream then fold through the egg mix.

Pour into the desired mould and leave to set.