For Gregory, a New Zealand chef who has worked around the world, cooking for royalty, presidents, movie stars, pop legends and sporting greats, there is nothing he likes more than Christmas at home with his family in Auckland.
His home is the 1920s-built Merksworth Castle, which sits on a clifftop at Thorne Bay near Takapuna — hence the name of his cookbook Christmas at the Castle: Eat. Gift. Play.
“Ultimately the spirit of Christmas is about more caring, sharing, gifting, laughing, kindness, getting together and staying connected. Christmas at the castle is about creating your own happy memories and enjoying your own spirit of Christmas.”
For Gregory, eating together is a precious gift and making food is a time-honoured way of letting people know how much you love them.
He has shared his favourite Christmas recipes as well as recipes for home-made presents and suggestions for some family-time fun activities from movie night to Christmas Day games such as the Malteaser Olympics or catch the bauble.
“I hope to inspire readers to make this holiday season truly special.”
The book
Christmas at the Castle: Eat. Gift. Play by Mark Gregory published by Bateman Books, RRP $39.99
Middle Eastern spiced carrots
Roast carrots spiced with zaatar and sweetened with flavours of the Middle East — pure luxury.
Serves 8-10 people
Ingredients
900g whole carrots, cut off top and bottoms
45ml (3 Tbsp) sesame or vegetable oil
30g (2 Tbsp) honey
20ml (1½ Tbsp) balsamic vinegar
20g (1½ Tbsp) salted butter, cold
8g (3-4 sprigs) fresh thyme, optional
12g (4 tsp) zaatar mix
23g (¼-½ tsp) salt
50g (¼ cup) pomegranate seeds, optional
60g (¼ cup) sliced spring onions, optional
Method
Switch oven to fan grill at 220°C and put a roasting tray in the oven.
Wash but do not peel carrots, cut each in half lengthways. Steam for 12-14 mins or until just tender.
You can then cool carrots and refrigerate for up to 3 days or place into another bowl and toss well to coat with sesame or vegetable oil.
Then, in a saucepan, bring honey and balsamic vinegar to a gentle simmer, add the cold butter and swirl to mix in well, pour into a small bowl and set aside.
Carefully, scatter carrots evenly on to the roasting tray, roast under the grill for 20 mins or until carrots begin to caramelise a little.
Drizzle carrots with the honey mixture, thyme and 2 tsp zaatar. Return to the oven for 5-10 mins more, until carrots are a little sticky.
Season with salt, remaining zaatar mix, pomegranate seeds and spring onions, if using.
MARK’S TIP
Zaatar is a Middle Eastern herb and spice mix of dried thyme, oregano or marjoram, sesame, sumac and cumin or coriander.
Hot-smoked turkey
This turkey was deemed so delicious that it’s still the screen saver on my phone …
Makes 600g-700g per person
Ingredients
6kg-7kg whole turkey, defrosted
50cm string, optional
250g (1 cup) ketchup manis, buy or make (see below)
Turkey brine
10L cold water
15g (2 Tbsp) peppercorns
10g (1œ Tbsp) mustard seeds
6g (2 tsp) dried thyme
500g (2¼ cups) coarse salt
Ketchup Manis
250ml (1 cup) soy sauce
220g (1 cup + 2 Tbsp) soft brown sugar
3g (1 tsp) five spice powder
Method
Begin with making the brine. Bring 2L/8 cups of the water to a simmer, stir in spices, and dissolve the salt.
Pour into a large container, top up with remaining cold water, set aside.
Wash and clean out the turkey in cold water. Turn the wings under the bird, see photo.
Optional: Tie with string as best you can to create a nice turkey shape when cooked.
Submerge and soak the turkey in the brine overnight or for 12 hours at room temperature.
To make the ketchup manis, bring all ingredients to a simmer, then cool completely and pour into a resealable jar, refrigerate up to a month.
Depending on the weight of turkey, you will need to work out how long it needs to hot-smoke or barbecue in advance of the time you wish to serve. Plus, add 1 hour rest time.
When ready to cook, rinse and dry the turkey, place in an oven tray lined with baking paper.
Baste with cold ketchup manis and begin your hot-smoke, barbecue or roast at 165°C.
Baste and glaze every 30 mins until cooked. (Use a temperature probe into the thickest breast meat; at 71°C it’s perfectly done.)
Remove, cover with tin foil and keep warm for up to an hour, so that the turkey finishes cooking and moisture can reabsorb back into the meat.
MARK’S TIPS
• Cooking a larger turkey and require more brine? The brine should always have a water-to-salt ratio of 1L of water to 50g coarse salt.
•Cover turkey with tin foil if it begins to brown too much.
• If you don’t have a hot-smoker, you can roast whole on a barbecue or in an oven at 155°C.
• Allow 35 mins per 1kg. Brining is the key to taste. Soak overnight and, depending on the size of the bird, you may need to make more brine, which is quick and easy.
Cherry Christmas pudding
Dried cherries update this traditional treat and the suet is replaced with grated chocolate. And it can be made days in advance.
Makes 1 pudding
Serves 10-12 people
Ingredients
175g each (1 cup each) raisins, sultanas and dried cherries
100g (½ cup) whole almonds
125g (½ cup) glace orange, optional
12g (1 Tbsp) mixed spice
60ml (4 Tbsp) treacle or golden syrup
190ml (¾ cup) vegetable oil
200g (2) apples, grated
460g (2 ¼ cups) soft brown sugar
220g (4 medium) whole eggs, beaten
200g (1 cup) 64% dark chocolate, chips or grated
250g (2 cups) self-raising flour
50ml (3-4 Tbsp) brandy or rum to flame, optional
Method
Mix together the first nine ingredients and leave for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Add the egg to the soaked fruit and mix well, followed by the chocolate chips and flour. Mix lightly.
Scrape the mixture into a large, greased Bundt tin.
Cover with a disc of greaseproof paper, then take a large piece of tin foil, fold in half and make a centre pleat (like a tent) in the middle before tightly covering the pudding.
Steam pudding by placing a thick piece of cardboard in the bottom of a large saucepan and lowering the pudding tin on top.
Then fill the saucepan with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the Bundt tin, and cover the saucepan with a lid.
Bring to a gentle boil, then lower to a simmer, and cook for 2-3 hours. Maintain the water level by checking regularly and adding hot water as needed.
To test that the pudding is cooked, insert a skewer, it should come out clean. Remove foil and greaseproof paper and cool for 20 mins, then cover with a plate and gently turn upside down to remove pudding from mould.
To flame the pudding, simmer brandy in a small saucepan, then carefully ignite. Then pour carefully over the hot pudding.
Serve with your choice of brandy or rum custard, or a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
Cheese straw Christmas tree
A quick and simple festive party snack. Be sure to serve it warm and with a dip.
Serves 6-8 people
Ingredients
2 sheets puff pastry, buy frozen
30g (2 Tbsp) English mustard, or mild
50g (⅓ cup ) cheddar or Gruyere cheese
Pinch cayenne or chilli pepper
30g (½ large ) whole egg, for egg wash
Method
Preheat oven to 175°C, line a baking tray.
Lay one pastry sheet on a flour-dusted surface.
Brush with mustard (or the pesto or olive tapenade, depending on your flavour option), and coat with finely grated cheddar or Gruyere. Add cayenne if not making the pesto or olive option.
Brush the second pastry sheet with egg wash, place the egg-washed side towards the cheese, then with a rolling pin, lightly roll and press together.
Cut out a tree trunk, angels and stars, then cut branches. Egg wash, then twist each branch, pressing ends firmly into the tray. Add the trunk and place angels and stars on top of it.
Bake 25 mins or until crispy and golden; trim the branch ends with a sharp knife while hot.
Serve warm with your choice of a flavoured sour cream, mayonnaise-based dip or guacamole.
FLAVOUR OPTIONS
Pesto straw tree: replace mustard with 30g (2 Tbsp) of basil pesto and don’t add the cayenne/chilli.
Olive tapenade tree: replace mustard with 30g (2 Tbsp) of olive tapenade and don’t add the cayenne/chilli.