Christmas in July.
For most Aussies, Christmases are about fresh prawns, cold ham and oysters. The notion of digging into a hot roast with roast potatoes and gravy is at odds with our stifling hot summers, regardless of tradition.
Celebrating Christmas in July is one way of beating Mother Nature at her own game, and this year Billy and The Pom were kind enough to host a small party of food bloggers at their house on the Central Coast.
It's only about a 90 minute drive from Sydney, but when food bloggers set off without breakfast in their bellies, a detour for lunch is inevitable, regardless of the feasting that lies ahead.
Haven Seafoods
We stopped at Suze's favourite fish and chip shop, Haven Seafoods, across the bay from Terrigal Beach.
Potato scallop $1 each
Potato scallops were woefully disappointing - not the battered slices of fresh potato I'd been craving, but uniform doughy discs of what tasted like reformed potato mash.
Flathead and chips $13.50
Battered flathead was much more of a hit, long fillets of fish in a crisp batter. There were plenty of chips, too, and we liberally dusted the lot with shakes of fluorescent yellow chicken salt.
Terrigal
Is there a better setting for fish and chips than sitting outdoors under a warm sun by the water? I think not.
Terrigal Lagoon
Santa mugs
We eventually arrive at the house to a gentle hum of activity. The kitchen bench tops are overflowing with trays, chopping boards and roasted meats. Everyone has brought a dish and as we hustle about, Billy is massaging pure duck fat into a tray of raw potatoes.
The preparation of dinner is a communal effort, and just like Christmas, there's a crowd of people in the living room, delicious smells emanating from the kitchen and a slow migration of completed dishes to the dining room table.
Do I need to tell you it was an epic feast? Of course it was...
Caramelised onion and fetta tarts with homemade pastry by Billy
Antipasto hedgehog by Shez and the VTB
Sweet corn veloute by Minh
Homemade wreath bread by Billy
Chicken liver parfait by me
Caramelised onion and fetta tarts with homemade pastry by Billy
Antipasto hedgehog by Shez and the VTB
Sweet corn veloute by Minh
Homemade wreath bread by Billy
Chicken liver parfait by me
Pan-fried crumbed angel fish fillets by Simon
Oven-roasted mushrooms with garlic and thyme by Karen
Roast pork and glazed ham by Billy
Maggie Beer's country chicken and mushroom pie by Jacq
Brussel sprouts splashed with vinegar and consumed with relish by The Pom
Digging in
There was also roast turkey, crunchy potatoes cooked in duck fat (and resplendently flavoursome with duck) and caramelised brussel sprouts cooked with bacon.
Christmas tree
After dinner there were presents, a Kris Kringle meets dice game that involved stealing and potentially losing a mountain of joke gifts. Two Polaroid cameras -- a Fuji Instax Mini 7 and an original Polaroid SX-70 -- captured plenty of cheesy moments. Our theme for the nighht was daggy woollen jumpers - Bridget Jones' Diary style! There were quite a few stunners on the evening...
Miniature polaroids with Minh's Fuji Instax Mini 7
Miniature trifle cups by Steph
Eggnog bundt cake by Shez
Christmas pudding flambe
Maggie Beer's boiled Christmas pudding by The Pom
Dessert (the Christmas pudding was amazing!) was followed by a raucous and competitive game of Pictionary. Board games are one of life's oft-neglected pleasures!
Melted cheese goodness
Late at night, we littered the living room on lounges and a motley collection of mattresses. Boxes of homemade petit fours by Karen - passionfruit marshmallows, rum balls made with cognac, and chocolate-covered caramels - kept us up well into early hours of the morning.
And after a huge night of feasting, breakfast for twelve people could only follow a similarly decadent suit...
Thanks again for Billy and The Pom for hosting Christmas in July!
Haven Seafood
The Haven, Terrigal
Tel: +61 (02) 4384 4333
The Entrance - Surf Spot Cafe
Tumbi Umbi - Mingara Recreation Club
FREEBIE FRIDAY WINNER:
gorgeous photos Helen! I feel like having the whole feast all over again! Thanks for coming up to the coast and celebrate with us!
ReplyDeleteyour pate was so uber smooth and awesome! mmm pate
ReplyDeleteEverything looks mouth watering..looks like you guys had a great night!
ReplyDeleteYumm, I feel like I was eating non-stop the entire weekend. Haha that's awesome you guys stopped for fish and chips first, looks totally worth it! Also, your pate was a bit of a revelation, I think I need to try making some of my own now!
ReplyDeleteSuch fun, loved all your images both written and photographed, I felt I was voyeuristically there. Maggie Beers pudding looked amazing flambé.
ReplyDeleteChristmas in July Aussie style at its best.
Cheers
Anna
Wow , what a spread - and brilliant photo of the flaming pud!
ReplyDeleteFreezing here in the Adelaide hills this weekend - would have been perfect for a Christmas feast.
Looks like you guys had an epic feast! I love how you guys are having cake for breaky! YUM! I want to dive into that melted cheese Richard provided *drools*
ReplyDeleteI already inhaled this feast earlier on Suze's blog, but WOW that close-up of Steph's desserts is yummy and Jacq's Maggie Beer pie! PIE!! ♥
ReplyDeleteI adore these food blogger posts - you guys should consider investing in Monopoly + Risk if you like your boardgames. Competition at its finest :D
what an awesome looking party! I was hanging out for photos :P
ReplyDeleteAlthough I'm not a fan of Christmas pudding, I am quite captured by your photo with the blue flames! So. Much. Food...
ReplyDeleteFor central coast fish and chips, we always stop at Monti's in Gosford for our lunch stop on the way to Terrigal or wherever. Great chips, very fresh fish, although the fish can sometimes be a bit too oily. Nice article!
ReplyDeleteStan.
That flambé pudding was a sight to behold! And oh, it was marvellous to eat. Your pate has all the attention today so I thought I should pipe in and say don't forget your salad. Your pumpkin salad was awesome with the Christmas Ham!
ReplyDeleteThanks to all for a great night :)
omg so much food I was clutching my stomach by the end of it haha. But I would do it all again in a flash! I'm awaiting your pate recipe so I can make it at home :)
ReplyDeleteYou know how much I love Xmas.
ReplyDeleteGreat pic of the flaming pud. What a feast. Well worth the drive up.
This is such a great idea, lovely weekend by the looks of it.
ReplyDeleteWow! What a feast. Can't believe I have missed out so much. Love the new larger size photos!! More to gawk at!
ReplyDeleteMy family still does the traditional, stifling Christmas dinner in summer. :( I can't wait until I'm doing my own and it's all prawns, fruit, salmon, and sorbet!
ReplyDeleteMe aside ;) ... what a feast! And I can't believe you made the pate - I have just rediscovered pate and am mildly obsessed with smearing it on toasted English Muffins. (And I thought I didn't care much for meat....) Any chance you'll grace us with the recipe?
An incredible feast, I bet you were all waddling around afterwards, sooooo much gorgeous food, yum!
ReplyDeleteRoast pumpkin salad must be a Helen specialty.
ReplyDeleteBecause my mum's also a Helen and we cannot go ANYWHERE for lunch/dinner without bringing "her salad"
wow! the liver pate looks amazing! the whole feast is definitely epic. Now I have an excuse to have 2 xmas a year! .... being able to cook all the traditional fare in cold chilly weather is so much fun!
ReplyDeleteWhat a feast - my birthday is in July so when I lived in Australia I used to sometimes do a Christmas In July dinner for my birthday - no excuse for it now that I live in the UK!
ReplyDeleteThat was truly a memorable weekend of feasting! Thanks for the patteeee mmmmmmmmm NOMNOMNOM haha jkjk
ReplyDeleteHi Billy - Aww thanks Billy. It was a fantastic weekend - thank you so much for your hospitality and generosity of spirit :)
ReplyDeleteHi Chocolatesuze - Thank you. Sieving it worked wonders.
Hi Peter G - It was lots of fun, but food bloggers and food always equals a good time!
Hi Stephcookie - Non-stop eating is the best kind of weekend! lol. I definitely recommend you give the parfait a go. Have posted the recipe here.
Hi Anna Johnston - Maggie's pudding was spectacular both in appearance and in taste! Thanks so much for your kind words.
Hi Amanda - The flaming pud was a dinner highlight. I'm sure it gets cold in the Adelaide Hills - a perfect excuse for a Yulefest dinner methinks!
Hi Phuoc'n Delicious - Epic indeed! Cake for brekky is awesome. We were also feasting on leftover ham too!
Hi Margaret Tran - Maggie Beer's pie was so crazy good. I used to play Monopoly a lot as a kid but I have to admit I've never played Risk. I do adore Pictionary - always a barrel of laughs and I love analysing people's personalities through their pictures. Very insightful! lol
Hi Iron Chef Shellie - It was a fantastic weekend with friends. And sharing photos is half the fun!
Hi mademoiselle delicieuse - I'm not usually a fan of Christmas pudding either but I loved this one as it was more cakey in texture and not overly sweet. Will have to hunt down the recipe.
Hi Stan - Ahh thanks for the tip. Always great to get tips from others. Will have to keep an eye out for it next time I'm in the area.
Hi Karen - Ha, thanks for the note about the salad. There was so much good food to eat it was hard to know where to start!
ReplyDeleteHi Jacq - I loveloveloved your pie. The pastry was amazing and the filling was perfect comfort food. Wait no more, I've just posted the chicken liver parfait recipe.
Hi Veruca Salt - Ha, I do indeed! The flaming pud was a great show for the crowd and yes, always good to have a little mini-break up the coast.
Hi Laura - It was lots of fun. Dinner with friends is always rewarding, especially when there's Pictionary involved!
Hi Ellie - A shame you couldn't make it. You were missed! Glad you're enjoying the larger photos too :)
Hi Hannah - Christmas roast dinners are an odd conundrum in Sydney but I also love that people have such affection for traditions too.
Of course I'll oblige you with the recipe for the chicken liver pate recipe. It's actually a parfait because it's sieved, and you can find the recipe here.
Hi Sara - Forget waddling. I think we just beached ourselves in the lounge room. lol.
Hi Kristy Sayer - Haha, that's awesome. I do love my roast pumpkin. Your mum must have good taste! :)
Hi KFC So Good - I'm surprised you haven't done this already :) It's a good idea to take advantage of the colder weather - always best to capitalise on bigger appetites, I say!
Hi Gourmet Chick - I love the idea of having a Christmas in July birthday dinner. How cool! And yes, I do remember the novelty of having my first two genuinely cold Christmases in the UK. So good to finally dig into hot roasts with gusto!
Hi FFichiban - Aren't you not meant to bite the hand that feeds you pate? lol.
What a fabulous feast! As always, your photos are stunning and your writing makes me feel like I was right there watching it all :-)
ReplyDeleteWe spent last weekend in Moss Vale with 2 other families for a Yulefest holiday. With 7 of the 8 kids in on the act I have never seen a gingerbread house get decorated so fast in all my life!
Hi mimbles - Thank you so much. Glad you enjoyed the post. Yulefest is a great excuse for a meet-up and dinner and I love decorating gingerbread houses! So much fun.
ReplyDelete