Coles
Hosting Christmas might sound like a jolly good idea, but let’s be honest, it can also come with its fair share of stress.
Between planning the perfect menu and getting the house in order, the pre-party to-do list can feel almost never-ending.
But before you get your tinsel in a tangle, we caught up with celebrity chef Curtis Stone for all his expert tips on making Christmas Day run as smoothly as Santa’s sleigh.
Curtis Stone’s top tips for Hosting Christmas
Stay Organised
Any advice on minimising stress levels when lunch is at your place?
“It’s all about giving people jobs – and they can be easy. Someone can be in charge of topping up everyone’s wine. Someone else can be in charge of music and making sure the ambiance is under control. Then find little jobs for the kitchen. It can be things like peeling veggies or being in charge of desserts. Enlisting everyone’s help– that’s the key to success.”
Tips for staying organised – both before and during Christmas Day?
“If you’re the one cooking, be methodical about the planning. Write yourself a big old list of all the things that you want to get done, and be realistic about how much you can do on the day. Jobs like setting the table can be done a couple of days ahead of time, or give those jobs to other people. Don’t be scared to ask for help. It actually gives guests a purpose for being there, and it makes the day really fun!”
Planning the menu
What does your menu look like this year?
“I’m definitely doing ham. There’s a double-smoked ham that I’m in love with. We [Coles] have a single, double and triple smoked ham. I’m doing the double-smoked, and I’m making a cherry glaze with it, which will add a beautiful richness and a really great colour.”
Coles Beechwood Double Smoked Half Leg Ham
$65
Coles Beechwood Smoked Half Leg Ham
$36
What about dessert?
“This year, we’ve [Coles] got a sticky date pudding – it comes with the sauce and is an absolute winner. You don’t need to do the work, so if you’re feeling like you’ve got enough on your plate, go for the sticky date pudding. In Australia, we have such a beautiful climate, so Pavlova is always a winner. We’ve got great berries this time of year. Semi-whipped cream or even a lemon curd could be really nice with it.”
“There’s a limoncello that we’re doing as a spritz this year from Liquorland, which could be nice to serve with Pavlova – especially if you use a lemon curd.”
Coles Finest Luxury Sticky Date And Butterscotch Pudding
$16.50
Libertas Limoncello Spritz
$17
Don’t forget the drinks!
Do you have go-to festive drinks you like to serve?
“I do love a spritz (I like an Aperol spritz) and a glass of champagne is a lovely way to start. I tend to serve white and red [wine] with dinner, but cocktails are always fun for Christmas, so I usually finish with a Negroni.”
Aperol Aperitivo
$39
Adairs Christmas Green Tree Wine Glass Pack of 2
$59.99
What about all the leftovers?
“The only thing better than Christmas Day are the leftovers. I love them. There’s really so much you can do. Think about the ham for instance – you can make a beautiful panini, you can chop it up and put it through a crepe or you can put it in a salad. There are so many different ways to use it! Bubble and squeak is a great way to use up the leftover veggies with poached eggs for breakfast the next morning, too.”
