By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
The holiday season is a time for food, family and fun traditions that tie them both together. Whether it's a magical snowy Christmas spread in Sweden or a sizzling BBQ by the beach, Australia’s leading Chefs share their unique festive food stories and favourite childhood Christmas memories in the first of this two-part article.
Circl’s Executive Chef Elias grew up in Sweden, where classic Christmas dinners were the norm. However, moving to Australia, he quickly adapted to a warmer Christmas tradition. "Going from snow-covered landscapes to 35-degree weather took some getting used to. Having a BBQ for Christmas is probably my favourite thing to do now,” he says. "Although I do still miss the mustard-pickled herring!”
Shane’s Christmas is a whirlwind of family gatherings and festive meals. "It starts with the kids at home, unwrapping all that Santa has delivered, then it's off to all of my restaurants to say Merry Christmas to my team and start lunch service at Maha,” he says. The highlight, however, is the Lebanese feast at his mother-in-law's house later in the day. "It features lamb and chicken shawarma, kibbeh, sambusek and her super tasty fattoush along with countless other dishes,” says Shane - spotlighting a celebration of family, food and the joy of sharing traditional dishes.
For many Italians, including Gigi, Christmas wouldn’t be complete without panettone, a tradition that comes from his home region in Lombardy."Growing up in Italy, every Christmas would involve a big family gathering over two whole days. Led by my Grandmother, all the ladies in my family would prepare a zabaglione sauce made with Marsala wine, zabaglione and mascarpone to accompany a panettone,” says Gigi, who continues the tradition by offering a zabaglione semifreddo-filled panettone for his customers.
Robin’s Christmas memories are worlds apart from his sunny Adelaide eatery and instead deeply intertwined with the sights and smells of growing up in South Germany - where Christmas Eve was always the big celebration, marked by the scent of mulled wine and the warmth of a roaring fire in contrast to the snow falling outside. "For me, it wasn’t Christmas without a slice of Stollen and warming up with warm hearty meals,” says Robin, referring to the dense yet delicate German fruit bread laced with marzipan, dusted in icing sugar.
The most unconventional experiences can make for the most memorable moments! For 2KW’s Sam, Christmas memories take a humorous turn thanks to his family’s annual dessert tradition. "Growing up in New Zealand, pavlova was the star of the Christmas table - until one year…Aunty Nora dropped it so we put it all in a bowl with all the fruit and cream to cover it up and called it Eton Mess,” laughs Sam. From then on, every year their family tradition was to have Eton Mess for dessert - proving that it is often the unexpected moments that make Christmas so magical.
Spencer attributes much of the festive magic of his childhood to his nan back in Britain. "My fondest memories are of my Grandma's Christmas pudding. She would prepare them two years in advance, lovingly feeding them with booze. The real excitement came when we discovered old pennies in our slices - though we always had to return them, much to our dismay." He now honours this tradition at his restaurant in Port Douglas by serving a modern twist: a fried Christmas pudding pie, paired with spiced brandy ice cream and a lucky penny tucked inside.
