We asked our team what wine and food pairing they were ready to share with family and friends this Christmas. Plus, we’ve even strong armed this into sharing a few of their favourite recipes.
Mike – Oysters & 2023 Garden Vineyard Semillon
They say what grows together, goes together. And while Port Stephen oysters and Hunter Valley Semillon aren’t technically directly next to each other, it’s pretty close. We will pick up our seafood from Shane’s Seafood on Christmas Eve, and while it’s busy – it’s always worth it.
3 dozen Oysters
Topped with: Salmon Roe & four finger limes
Dressing: 200gms Caster Sugar, 1/2 bunch coriander, 1 lemon grass stalk (white part), 2 lime leaves, 1 tbs fish sauce, juice from 4 limes
Blend dressing ingredients and spoon over oysters. Top with salmon roe and finger limes and enjoy!
Emily – Baked Parmesan Crusted Salmon & 2024 Estate Rose
Rose is the ultimate Christmas wine. It works so well with charcuterie, antipasto, fresh seafood and one of my favourite recipes from Recipe Tin Eats. This Baked Parmesan Crusted Salmon is the bomb dot com and is a regular staple on the Christmas table.
Nagi from Recipe Tin Eats is a favourite chef of mine, and you need to head over to her website to discover this ah-mazing recipe. Click here, and thank me later.
Erin – Watermelon Salad & 2021 Sparkling Chardonnay
My family and I love this recipe – it’s simple, delicious and even if you’ve had a few too many glasses you’ll nail it.
Half watermelon cut into triangles, 1/2 cup torn mint leaves, 1/2 cup pistachios, 1/2 cup greek yogurt, 200g persian feta
Spread a thin layer of yoghurt on a serving platter, arrange watermelon triangles on top, top watermelon with a spoon of yoghurt, and crumble feta on top & sprinkle with pistachios and mint
Jenna – Ginger & Lime Glazed Ham & 2023 Special Release Sangiovese
This recipe is really special to me, as it came from my Aunty Lesley, who lost her battle with cancer early this year. It will be nice to serve it and remember all the beautiful times we got to share, even that one Christmas when they forgot to get the turkey out of the car boot. Needless to say, there was no turkey that year.
Put ginger beer, ginger and marmalade in a saucepan over a medium heat and whisk until melted. Bring to the boil. Boil for about 10-12 minutes or until thickened slightly. Set aside to cool slightly and thicken. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and remove the ham rind & discard. Using the mixture baste the ham every 15 minutes for an hour. Carve the ham when cooled, and drizzle the drippings over the cut ham for extra wow.
Cooper – Lamb shoulder & 2022 Special Release Tempranillo
I’m going to be really honest with you and let you know I don’t cook on Christmas, my parents do it all. I’ll help clean up of course. This slow-cooked lamb shoulder dish is the best. You can even can have left overs in a Bubble & Squeak the next morning.
1.5–1.8 kg bone-in lamb shoulder, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp cracked black pepper, 2 tbsp olive oil, juice of ½ lemon, 1 whole garlic bulb, unpeeled, cut in half horizontally, 1 cup (250 ml) water
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan. In a bowl, marinate the lamb shoulder with the salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice and oregano. Use your hands to ensure the lamb is evenly coated in the marinade. In a lidded roasting dish, rest the lamb on top and add the water to the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with the lid (or, if using a regular roasting dish, cover tightly with a double layer of foil) and roast for 4 hours.
Shane – Prawns & 2023 Sparkling Rosé
I like to keep it simple at Christmas. The grandkids spend all the time swimming in the pool, and running around on the lawn so a formal sit-down feast isn’t for us. But what is non-negotiable is a bucket of prawns, some crisp lettuce, Marie Rose sauce and a deliciously cold bottle of Sparkling Rose.
2 kg cooked prawns, head of iceberg lettuce, 1 cup mayo, 1 tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 1/2 tsp jarred horseradish, several dashes of Tabasco
Peel your prawns, wash and pull apart the lettuce, and mix the Marie Rose ingredients together and voila!