A Christmas Feast, the Linnaeus family way.
364 days of the year, for the most part, we’re thinking design, style, interiors, exteriors, and how best to deliver an unforgettable holiday experience the Linnaeus Collection way. And on that one other day of the year? It’s all about celebrating family, friends and Christmas. Not that family and friends are ever far from our thoughts and we know Christmas means different things to different people. For us though it’s a time to put our own personal imprint on just about everything, from what to wear to how to set an inviting celebration table, what gifts to buy that say “I’ve really thought about you…’’, to a bespoke way to wrap them. It’s a balancing act between splurging on (or at least wishing for) that one special, extravagant thing and having our hearts melt when we open a handmade card.
We’re reminded about the joy to be had in just spending time with those we love amidst the chaos, noise and bubbling anticipation of what the day will deliver. And then there’s the food! So much of Christmas Day in our household is about the multicultural feast that somehow manages to come together just perfectly every year. It’s food lavished with passion, prepared by family members whose roots go back to Greece, Malaysia and Italy, overlaid with a touch of Aussie cuisine too, which, let’s be honest, is a mix of all of those influences plus heaps more. Georgia and Lynne (Linnaeus Collection marketers and 4th generation Aussies with a bit of Scottish, Irish and German heritage in their DNA) have contributed some of their favourites too.
Celebrating and blending heritage and traditions and sharing the joy of the festive season with as many as possible is the story of our Christmas. It’s why we’d like to share with you the recipes for some of the delicious food that will appear, as always, on our table this December 25. Here’s to you and those you love!
A safe, happy and joyful festive season from all of us.
Peter, Nadia and the Linnaeus Collection Family
our Recipes
Pete’s Mum’s Melomakarona (Greek Christmas Biscuits)
Ingredients
1 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
125g butter
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 large orange (juice & zest)
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup fine semolina
6 cups self raising flour
4 cups crushed walnuts or almonds
Syrup
2 cups honey
2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
Method
Preheat the oven to 160ºC
In a large mixing bowl, beat the oil, butter and sugar for 5 minutes
Add orange juice, zest, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder and flour and combine all ingredients
Remove the mixture from the bowl and knead until the dough becomes firm but is still soft to touch
Create small oval shapes, approx. 6-8cm long and 2cm thick
Place the oval shaped dough on a lined baking tray
Bake for 30mins, then remove from the oven and let cool
Make the syrup mixture by placing all syrup ingredients in a saucepan and bring to boil then lower the heat to a gentle simmer for 20mins
Dip the cooled biscuits in the syrup and sprinkle with the crushed walnuts or almonds to cover the whole biscuit.
Finish with a dusting of cinnamon
Stuffed lamb forequarter shoulder
Serves 10-12
Allow 30 mins prep + 6.5 hours cooking
Ingredients
1 forequarter lamb shoulder (ask your butcher to separate skin from rib bones to make a pocket for stuffing)
6 lemons
1 bunch fresh rosemary
1 bunch fresh oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup water
Large baking tray
Cooking needle & thread to sew in stuffing
Stuffing
1kg minced beef
2 onions – diced
6 cloves garlic – crushed
Spice mix:
1/4 tsp pimento
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup pinenuts
1 cup cranberries
1 bunch fresh parsley leaves – chopped
1 bunch fresh mint leaves – chopped
50mls olive oil
1 cup calrose rice (washed)
Salt & pepper to taste
Method
Preheat oven to 180ºC
Wash & clean the lamb forequarter
Rub a generous amount of salt & pepper on the lamb, inside and out and set aside in a large baking dish
Stuffing:
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil n a large frypan and sauté onions, garlic, minced beef until mostly cooked.
Add all remaining stuffing ingredients and season to taste
Stuff the lamb with the stuffing mixture by filling the pocket
Use the needle and cooking thread to sew the ends together to prevent the stuffing from falling out.
Squeeze lemons over the top of the lamb and place fresh rosemary & oregano on top.
Cut the squeezed lemons in quarters and scatter around the tray
Add the water to the tray and cover with foil.
Place in the oven for 10 mins then lower the temperature to 150ºC
Bake at 150º for 6 hours
After the 6 hours, take the tray out of the oven and remove foil
To test if it’s ready, prick the lamb with a fork – it should be tender
Finally, increase the oven temperature to 180ºC and place the uncovered tray in the oven to brown
Serve and enjoy!
Grilled Scampi & Scallops
Ingredients:
Fresh Scampi - butterflied open
Fresh Scallops
Can also use any sort of shellfish
For the sauce: based on 4-6 people but just multiply as needed
125g butter
5 garlic cloves crushed finely
Juice from ½ lime
½ tsp sesame oil
¼ tsp soy sauce
Ginger finely crushed (optional) ½ tsp
Method:
Melt butter in small pot on low heat until liquid and take off the heat
Add all other sauce ingredients
Preheat grill setting in oven (highest heat)
Spoon sauce onto seafood
Place under grill for 5 mins (scallops) and a little longer say 7 mins for scampi – aim is to cook until just cooked through but no longer
Serve and eat immediately!
Twice Cooked Crunchy Potatoes - (as Aussie as you’ll get)
Serves 10
Ingredients
8 large brushed potatoes
Chicken salt
Deep fryer or pot filled with canola oil
Method
Peel potatoes and cut into even sized wedges (approx. 6 wedges per potato)
Add potatoes to the deep fryer and fry for 5 mins
Turn off the deep fryer / heat and leave the potatoes to soak in oil
20 mins before serving, turn the deep fryer / heat on and fry until golden brown
Drain the potatoes and add chicken salt to taste
Nonna’s Potato Salad
Serves 6
Ingredients
2kg Desiree Potatoes
4 Eggs
2 large Capsicum (1 red + 1 green) finely chopped
1/2 bunch Shallots finely chopped
Salt & pepper
220g Whole Egg Mayo (you can add more if you prefer a creamier texture)
Method
In salted water, boil potatoes whole until cooked and allow to cool
At the same time boil the eggs until hard boiled and allow them to cool
Once the potatoes are cooled, peel the skin off then cut the potatoes into 1-2inch cubes
Mix all the ingredients together and add salt and pepper to taste
Serve in a large bowl
Nadia’s Mum, Jennifer’s famous Tiramisu
Nadia’s Mum is Malaysian and her Dad’s Italian. It’s created a fusion of culinary expectations for Nadia’s mum who is forced by everyone in the family to make her perfect-every-time tiramisu at Christmas time as well as Nonna’s potato salad.
Serves 10
Ingredients:
1 packet Savoiardi Biscuits (Sponge Fingers)
600ml Thickened Cream
Coffee milk
¼ cup milk
¼ cup castor sugar
Coffee (1 tbsp instant)
Biscuit soak
2 cups milk
¼ cup Tia Maria Liqueur (or more if you prefer)
¼ cup castor sugar
Dusting
1tbsp Cocoa powder or grated dark chocolate
Method:
In a cup, make the coffee milk (¼ cup milk + ¼ cup sugar + 1 tbsp coffee)
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer
Add coffee milk mixture to the cream whilst using the mixer and beat until thickened
In a separate bowl, mix all the ingredients for the biscuit soak.
Here we are going to soak the Savoiardi biscuits (2-3 at a time in the mixture) and place into our serving bowl whilst layering with the cream. We want to make sure the milk has just absorbed through the biscuits but not too much as we don’t want them to be soggy. I usually soak them for 2 seconds each side of the biscuit as don’t forget they will continue to absorb more liquid.
Layer the biscuits first then the cream to cover the biscuits (approx. 2cm thick) an repeat
Continue this process until you have reached the top of your bowl with a layer of cream on the top
Using a sieve, dust the top of the Tiramisu with the cocoa / chocolate and voila! Serve with a large spoon
Brûlée Blood Orange Whiskey Sour (from Georgia & Lynne)
(inspiration and video credit @join_jules)
Ingredients
60ml whiskey
30ml freshly squeezed blood orange juice
20ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp white sugar
1 egg white
Ice
Brûlée orange: 1 blood orange slice, sugar & a blow torch
Method
In a cocktail shaker add whiskey, blood orange juice, lemon juice, and 1 egg white.
Shake without ice.
Shake again with ice.
Double strain into a rocks glass.
Garnish with your brûlée orange wheel & enjoy!
Baked Festive Brie with Cranberries, Hazelnuts and Fig Jam (from Georgia & Lynne)
Cook time: 10 mins | Prep time: 10 mins | Serves: 4
Ingredients
200g brie, creamy
30g fig preserve
20g hazelnuts, chopped
10g dried cranberries, chopped
4 sprigs thyme, chopped
Honeycomb
Crackers to serve
Method
Preheat oven to a 180C fan. Place parchment onto a baking tray with the wheel of brie in the middle.
Score the top into 2cm squares and spread fig preserve on top. Add chopped cranberries and hazelnuts on top of the brie.
Wrap the baking paper around the cheese and secure with twine. Add thyme and bake for 10 minutes. Serve with crackers and honeycomb.
*You can always pick fresh thyme in the edible garden at Linnaeus Farm or Far Meadow Cottage
