Ingredients

Serves 4

Ricotta, Scallop and Almond Bastilla
12 sheets filo pastry
200 g melted ghee
500 g ricotta
200 g parmesan cheese
Zest of one lemon
150 g toasted flakes almonds
2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
12 small scallops cut in half
Sea salt and cracked white pepper to taste
1tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

Roasted Chicken with Christmas stuffing & Brussel Sprout Salad

For the chicken:
100g dried figs
100g dried apricots
1 small loaf of stale bread
200ml clarified butter
100g macadamia nuts, chopped
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 chicken crowns, wing bone on (I used Bendele Farm chickens)
Olive oil
2 tbsp butter
¼ bunch of rosemary
2 cloves garlic
100ml chardonnay verjus

For the salad:
1.2kg organic brussel sprouts
300g peas, blanched and refreshed in iced water
½ bunch of mint, leaves picked
½ lemon, juiced
50ml extra virgin olive oil
100g marinated fetta
50g parmesan
Salt & freshly ground black pepper


Christmas Cracker Cocktail
45ml (1 measure) Vodka
1 tspn sugar syrup (see method)
1 lime, cut into quarters
1 stick lemongrass, cut into pieces
10 mint leaves
Cranberry juice
Soda water


 

Method

Ricotta, Scallop and Almond Bastilla
Mix all ingredients together excluding the ghee and filo pastry.
Brush the filo sheets with the ghee to moisten the sheets.
Place a spoon full of mixture in the centre of the sheet and roll to form a cigar shape, folding in the edges to seal the parcel.
Place in fridge to set firm.
Bake in a 220°C oven until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes.
Dust with icing sugar and cinnamon and serve.

 

Roasted Chicken with Christmas stuffing & Brussel Sprout Salad
Finely dice the dried figs and apricots. Place the bread into a food processor and blend until it resembles bread crumbs. Place the bread into a bowl and mix in the dried fruits and clarified butter. Mix in macadamias and parsley. Carefully place stuffing under the skin of the chicken in an even layer. Season on all sides then carefully seal chicken in olive oil and butter till golden. This should take around 2 minutes per side. Add rosemary, garlic and verjus to the pan and generously baste bird. Immediately place in oven for 12 minutes, basting every few minutes. Allow to rest then carve in thick slices. Serve with pan juices and brussel sprout salad

For the salad:
Remove outer leaves from sprouts and remove core. Use a sharp knife or a mandolin to thinly shave. Combine sprouts, peas, mint and fetta in a large bowl. Toss with lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning.
Arrange on plates and top with fetta and shaved parmesan

Tips:
For a bit of Christmas culinary whimsy, try rolling spoonfuls of stuffing in a small sheet of filo pastry into a ‘cigar’ shape then pinch the ends and bake till golden to fashion a Christmas ‘bonbon!’
The brussel sprout salad can be embellished with broad beans, asparagus or sugar snap peas.
By cooking the breasts on the bone you retain the structure of the meat. It also provides greater flavour and moisture.

 

Christmas Cracker
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the lime, lemongrass and mint together until combined and fragrant. Add the vodka and sugar syrup. Add ¼ cup each of cranberry juice and soda water. Shake well.

Half fill a long glass with ice, pour drink over and top with additional cranberry and soda water to fill. Garnish with extra fresh mint leaves and lime.

To make sugar syrup (also known as simple syrup) use 2 parts sugar to 1 part water.
Bring the water to a boil. Dissolve the sugar into the boiling water. Once the sugar is dissolved completely, remove the pan from the heat. Allow to cool completely and bottle.

Thanks to Plumm for our beautiful glassware on set: www.plumm.com.