Hosting Christmas Day is often an arduous task. Sure, there is all the frivolity and goodwill and an opportunity to catch up with the people you love most, but it still comes with planning and cooking, and more cooking, and the clean-up, and then more cleaning, usually with a hangover in various stages of severity.

So instead, I plan for the do-ahead spread. It’s life-changing – and you get to enjoy Christmas Day just as much as your guests because the frazzled cooking and oven-time co-ordinating is done and dusted. All that is required on the day is a whisk of this or that, some mild assembly, and serve and done. I promise you it’s the absolute best way to spend Christmas Day, and that’s coming from someone who loves to cook so very, very much.

Salmon gravlax with pink peppercorns, gin and lavender cure and a very lazy horseradish cream

I’m a bit of a weirdo, I love the herby salty fragrant cure that sits atop salmon as it is “buried and cured”. Most recipes call for this to be scraped off prior to serving, but everyone who comes past my table knows I am not opposed to a bit of DIY, and people can do as they please – on or off. Just like the skin.

To that end, I use about half the amount of salt than traditional gravlax recipes, with the idea in mind that the crust-like mixture is staying put. Please scrape off thoroughly if you prefer your fish to be crust-free.

Speaking of crust, the second herb and peppercorn topping can be added up to 3 hours before serving, provided the salmon is kept in the fridge.

Start this recipe 2-3 days ahead.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 side of salmon (about 1kg)

Curing mix

• 100ml gin
• 250g caster sugar
• 100g sea salt flakes
• 2 heaped tbsp pink peppercorns, lightly crushed
• 4 tbsp dried edible (“culinary”) lavender
• 1 large bunch (or 2 small bunches) of dill, leaves finely sliced

Lazy horseradish cream

• ¼ cup Kewpie mayo
• 1 tbsp finely grated fresh horseradish, or to taste (or substitute with jarred horseradish and taste-check for desired heat, as this can vary between brands)

Herb and peppercorn topping

• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 2 cups finely diced herb leaves such as flat-leaf parsley, basil, dill
• 3 tbsp pink peppercorns, lightly crushed
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• nasturtium leaves (or basil leaves)

METHOD

1. To make the horseradish cream, combine the ingredients in a bowl, cover and pop in the fridge until ready to serve.
2. Lie the salmon, skin side down, on a chopping board and run your finger along the flesh to check for pin bones.
3. Combine the curing mix in a bowl. Spread half mixture on base of a non-reactive container large enough to fit salmon snugly. Place the salmon fillet, skin side down, on top of the mixture, and spread the remaining curing mixture on top. Cover tightly in cling film and refrigerate for 24-36 hours.
4. On the day of serving, remove the fish from the curing mixture and scrape off the curing mix (note: you can remove this completely, or do as I do and keep a little crust on). Wipe the fish clean with a clean, damp cloth and pat dry the skin. Transfer to a serving plate, skin side down.
5. Lightly brush the salmon with the pomegranate molasses, then, using your hands, gently press the herb and pink peppercorn mixture over the top of the salmon to form a fresh crust of sorts. Scatter over the lemon zest and the nasturtium leaves, if using.
6. Slice thinly and serve with the lazy horseradish cream, a selection of sliced bread, crackers and goodwill.

Serves 10-12

Burrata with cucumber and cumin herb oil

This is the easiest side dish in all the land, yet it has so much oomph for such little effort – and that, my friends, is the key to a happy Christmas Day.

Make sure your burrata isn’t fridge-cold when ready to serve, this is best when it’s oozing and soft.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 burrata balls
• 1 telegraph (long) cucumber, sliced into even slices
• 1-2 cukes (baby cucumbers), sliced
• micro herbs to serve (optional)

Herb oil

• 100g soft herb leaves (I used tarragon, parsley and basil)
• 100ml olive oil
• 2 tsp freshly ground cumin
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon

METHOD

1. To make the herb oil, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Once the water is boiling, add the herbs and cook for about 15 seconds, until the herbs are vibrant. Quickly transfer to an ice bath and submerge in the water to cool and halt the cooking. Transfer the herbs to a blender with the oil and cumin and blitz thoroughly.
2. Strain the mixture through a strainer into a bowl. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look completely verdant green – the oil can emulsify and make it look a little less vibrant than when the herbs were initially blanched – it will still taste amazing.
3. When ready to serve, add half the large cucumber slices to a serving platter. Mix the lemon zest into the oil. Tear the burrata into large chunks directly over the cucumber. Scatter over the remaining cucumber slices, followed by the smaller cucumber slices, then spoon over the spiced herb oil. Season with salt and pepper, scatter with a few micro herbs, if using, and serve.

Serves about 6, as part of a spread

Green beans with toasted almonds and spiced preserved lemon dressing

Beans served cold are delicious. Amazing, in fact. There should be more cold bean salads in the world. While I love to blanch them, do so ever so briefly for this recipe. The blanching will preserve their glorious colour, but the raw state is what gives this salad its crunch and staying power.

INGREDIENTS

• 600g green beans, topped and tailed
• 70g flaked almonds
• 2 tbsp butter

Dressing

• ½ cup olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• ½ tbsp baharat or ras el hanout spice mix
• 1 small preserved lemon, flesh removed, skin finely diced

METHOD

1. To make the dressing, add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Cover and set aside until ready to use.
2. Blanch the beans, just shy of a minute, then strain very well − no one wants soggy beans. Give the beans a towel down, then pop them in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
3. When ready to serve, add the butter to a small frying pan and place over low-medium heat. Once melted and beginning to foam, add the flaked almonds and cook, tossing the pan regularly, until they have a healthy golden tan.
4. Whack the beans on a serving plate. Scoop over the gloriously golden almond flakes, spoon over the dressing, and serve.

Serves 6-8 as part of a spread

Overnight spiced lamb shoulder with an almond pomegranate crust

Heads-up: tossing the crust mixture with orange blossom water may seem strange, but it lifts and invigorates this dish, and gives the lamb an entirely different dimension. Given the variability in strength across brands, add the floral water slowly and taste-check before adding more. It should taste fragrant and alive, not like you’re eating your grandmother’s doily.

The lamb goes in the oven the day before, and it will just need to be reheated to serve. If you have all the crust elements ready to go, but not combined, it’s a quick, low-effort assembly job.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lamb shoulder, bone-in (about 2kg)

Spice mix

• 35g coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp fennel seeds
• 20g cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp Sichuan pepper
• 2 tbsp Aleppo pepper (or Turkish red pepper flakes)
• 180g brown sugar
• ¼ cup pomegranate molasses
• 1 bottle of white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock

For the crust

• arils of 1 pomegranate
• 1 bunch mint, leaves picked and finely sliced
• 1 bunch coriander, leaves finely chopped
• 120g flaked almonds, toasted in 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp orange blossom water

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200C fan-forced (220C conventional).
2. Add the lamb to a large roasting dish.
3. Place all the spices in a frying pan and lightly toast for a few minutes over low heat until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and pound to a coarse powder.
4. Use a pastry brush to brush the lamb with the pomegranate molasses and cover in the spice mix, using your hands to lightly pat it down. Pour the bottle of wine around the base of the lamb, trying not to lose the spice mix.
5. Cover tightly with baking paper and foil and pop in the oven for 45 minutes. Gently peel back the foil, add the chicken stock and return to the oven. Reduce the heat to 100C fan-forced (120C conventional) and cook for 12 hours. Remove to a large dish. (Note: If you are timing this to serve immediately, you can still do a couple of hours ahead because it will keep warm covered in foil for 2 hours.)
6. Reheat covered in the oven at 150C fan-forced (170C conventional) for 1 hour.
7. To make the crust, prep all ingredients and keep them separate. When ready to serve, combine the crust ingredients and gently press across the warm lamb. You want a light covering. The leftovers can go in a serving bowl alongside − pulled lamb with a heaping spoonful of the crust mixture is what life is all about.
8. Serve the lamb platter with serving forks − the meat will easily collapse under the pressure of the forks − and people can serve themselves.

Serves 8-10 as part of a spread

Raspberry, moscato and elderflower jelly with yoghurt and white chocolate panna cotta

I do understand that this quivering dessert of festive goodness is the culinary equivalent of a trust fall, but it does work, and it’s so, so delightful to look at and to eat. On our hot Christmas days, this is the kind of dessert we all need. It’s light and refreshing, with enough heft to call it a “cold pudding”.

A few key tips:

1. Start this recipe one or two days ahead.
2. You will need a 2.5L bundt tin for this recipe.
3. To release the jelly, it helps to fill a sink with some hot water and gently dip the base of the bundt tin in – five seconds, and I mean five seconds, is all you need. It’s enough for the gelatin to soften and move for you to gently release it onto a serving plate.
4. Be patient and be gentle. You may find after the five-second dip in the hot tub that your jelly isn’t releasing. It will! Sometimes the air in the bundt tin forms an air pressure pocket. Use the butt of a knife to give it a few gentle taps, and she will release!

INGREDIENTS

Raspberry layer

• 500g raspberries
• 2 cups moscato
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 2 tbsp elderflower cordial
• 4 titanium-strength* gelatine sheets, softened in a bowl of very cold water

Vanilla layer

• 450ml pouring cream
• 1¼ cups white chocolate
• 1kg thick, sweetened Greek-style yoghurt
• 1 tbsp vanilla paste
• 3.5 titanium-strength* gelatin sheets, softened in a bowl of very cold water

To decorate

• elderflowers
• raspberries
• blackberries
• blueberries

METHOD

1. To make the raspberry layer, blitz the raspberries in a food processor. If you are bothered by the odd grainy bit of raspberry, you can pour the raspberry mixture over a strainer into a bowl.
2. Add the raspberry mixture, moscato, caster sugar and elderflower cordial to a saucepan and place over low heat. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Add the softened gelatine sheets, remove the pan from the heat, and whisk to fully incorporate. Pour into your bundt tin and pop in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours to set.
3. To make the panna cotta, add the cream to a saucepan and place over medium heat. Once hot, add the chocolate and whisk continuously until the chocolate has melted and is incorporated with the cream. Add the softened gelatin and whisk until thoroughly combined. Remove from the heat and whisk through the yoghurt.
4. Remove the bundt tin from the fridge and gently pour the panna cotta mixture over the top. Return the tin to the fridge. Given the mixture is still warm, I suggest an overnight set in the fridge butt-naked, no cling wrap over the top, as it tends to sweat and then the droplets hit the surface and it looks odd (if this bothers you, feel free to wrap it).
5. The next day, when ready to serve, fill a sink or a bowl larger than your tin with hot water. Dip the base of the bundt tin in the water for five seconds, then invert onto a serving plate. Top with flowers and berries, and serve.

Serves 12

*Note: Gelatin comes in five strengths: titanium, bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Titanium gives the softest set. “Bloom” the leaves by soaking them in cold water for at least 4 minutes to soften and dissolve.