Adam Liaw serves up a quirky Christmas

This year's Christmas is going to be unlike any other we have experienced in our lifetimes. We might be saying our season's greetings via video call. We almost certainly won't be going on an overseas summer holiday. And we may not be able to have as many family members around as we would like.

If the atmosphere for Christmas 2020 is going to be a little different, why shouldn't our menu be, too? Here's a suite of quirky Christmas dishes that push the boundaries of the festive season.

Hot dog ham

How do you even eat a Christmas ham, anyway? Why not try it in a soft bread roll like a hot dog?

• 1 whole ham leg (about 6-8kg)
• 10 hot dog rolls, split lengthways
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, to serve
• 2 cups finely grated haloumi (grated with a microplane)
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely diced (to serve)
• 1 cup whole dill pickles, to serve

INGREDIENTS

Apple mustard glaze

• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 100g butter
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp ground cloves

Cherry tomato chutney

• 2 brown onions, peeled and finely diced
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 500g mixed cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 red bird's-eye chilli, sliced (optional)
• 2 tbsp finely shredded curly parsley

​METHOD

1. For the apple mustard glaze, combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, whisking to combine the mustard and dissolve the sugar. Simmer for about 3 minutes until thickened to the consistency of maple syrup, then remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.

2. For the tomato chutney, combine the onion, brown sugar, vinegar and salt in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes and chilli (if using). Simmer covered over low heat for 20-30 minutes, until the mixture is thickened but still vibrant. Cool to room temperature, then stir through the parsley just before serving.

3. Remove the skin from the ham, making sure to keep as much of the fat as possible attached to the meat. Score the fat through to the meat in whatever pattern you like.

4. Heat your oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Brush the ham with the glaze and bake in the oven for about 1.5 hours, brushing on more glaze every 15 minutes until it is thick and caramelised and the ham is warmed through. You may need to wrap the end of the ham bone in foil to prevent burning. For the last 20 minutes of cooking, wrap the hot dog rolls in aluminium foil and place in the oven to warm through.

5. Serve the ham with the chutney, extra mustard, grated cheese, red onion and pickles, alongside the hot dog rolls.

Serves 10

Potato and pickle salad

This light and sour potato salad is more suited to the Australian summer than thecreamy varieties we might be more used to.

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg new potatoes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 100g speck or bacon, cut into thick batons
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 6 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp seeded mustard
• ½ cup finely sliced dill pickles, plus extra whole pickles to serve
• ¼ cup finely sliced cornichons, plus extra whole cornichons to serve
• 1 tbsp finely shredded parsley

METHOD

1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Season well with salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer the potatoes for 20 minutes until tender, then drain. You can test the potatoes by piercing them with a small, sharp knife. If the knife enters and exits easily, the potatoes are done. Halve the potatoes and return to the empty, warm pot.

2. While potatoes are cooking, heat a medium frying pan over medium heat and add the olive oil and speck or baconand fry until it is browned and crisp. Add the red onion and fry for just 30 seconds, then add the vinegar and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

3. Pour the hot dressing over the warm potatoes and add spring onions, mustard, pickles, cornichons and parsley. Stir through until well combined and serve garnished with extra whole or halved pickles and cornichons, and freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 8-10

Jelly-centred pavlova

A pavlova filled with cranberry jelly might seem like an advanced move, but actually it turns a sunken-centred pav into a delicious Christmas triumph.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 egg whites
• 1½ cups caster sugar
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• 600ml thickened cream
• 2 cups mixed red berries, to serve
• mint leaves, to serve

Jelly

• 10 gelatine leaves (McKenzie's brand)
• 1 litre cranberry juice

METHOD

1. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the caster sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat until glossy. About halfway through adding the sugar, stir the cornflour and cream of tartar into the sugar, and continue to beat for a further 5 minutes after all the sugar has been added. (The whole process should take about 15 minutes and you should not be able to feel any grains of sugar when you rub the mixture between your fingers.)

2. Spread the pavlova on a baking tray in scoops with a spatula, pressing from the centre only to create a natural edge on the pavlova. Smooth the top.

3. Heat your oven to 110C fan-forced (130C conventional). Bake for 90 minutes, then allow the pavlova to cool completely in the oven, with the door wedged open just a crack with a wooden spoon.

4. For the jelly, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes. Place the cranberry juice in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Squeeze excess moisture from the gelatine leaves and add them to the cranberry juice. Whisk until the gelatine has fully dissolved, then pour into a round or square tray so that the jelly is about 2cm thick. Refrigerate for about 4 hours until the jelly is set firm. Whip the cream to soft peaks.

5. Once the pavlova has cooled, remove from the oven and transfer to a serving plate. If the pavlova is sunken in the middle, crack the top to create a well

in the centre. Turn the jelly out onto a cutting board with a piece of baking paper on top (you can loosen the jelly from the tray with a little hot water.) Cut the jelly into a shape that will fit either into or on top of your pavlova (reserving any excess jelly) and carefully transfer it. It doesn't matter if the jelly breaks a little. You can even cut the jelly into cubes and place them in, or over the top of, the pavlova, if you prefer.

6. Cover the jelly completely with the whipped cream. Cut the remaining jelly into large cubes to decorate the pavlova, arranging them on top with the berries and mint.

Serves 8-10

Christmas cranberry spritz

This summer drink is delicious but also light on alcohol, so you don't overdo it on the day.

INGREDIENTS

• 45ml cranberry juice
• 30ml Aperol
• 30ml Campari
• about 60ml Australian sparkling white wine
• about 60ml soda water
• lime slices, to serve

METHOD

1. Fill a tall glass or large wine glass with ice and add the cranberry juice, Aperol and Campari. Top up with equal parts of sparkling white wine and soda water. Serve with lime slices.

Serves 1

Adam's tip: You don't have to make all these dishes yourself. Plan your menu and farm the work out to your guests. Nobody ever baulked at being asked to bring along a salad or a dessert.

This article appears in Sunday Life magazine within the Sun-Herald and the Sunday Age on sale November 29. To read more from Sunday Life, visit The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.