Stars in the east

Christmas Eve is a good chance to see friends before the familial duties of the festive season kick in. The food served doesn’t need to suit the whole family; stronger flavours and spices can be introduced to great effect. I’ve chosen non-traditional Christmas dishes with an Asian accent to them, as I wanted food from hot countries to suit a typically humid Kiwi December. My choice of Asian flavours could also be the result of a trip to Penang earlier this year which rekindled my fascination with the sweet, salty, hot and sour tastes of South-East Asian cuisine. I see this as a fork supper – you could serve the dishes all at once or, as I like to do, roll them out one after another at a leisurely pace, so they punctuate the evening, without a big sit-down dinner at the table. These dishes are surprisingly easy to prepare for one occasion but I am sure they will also find plenty of use separately.

Menu
Crayfish, Lemon & Kumara Dashi
Duck, Pineapple & Green Bean Salad
Chicken Yakitori with Braised Eggplant
Grilled Salmon with Shallots, Tomatoes & Pickled Cucumber
Roasted Bananas with Gula Melaka Ice & Candied Coconut