far far away downunder... 遠得要命又顛倒的地方: Merry Christmas!

耶誕快樂!

Merry Christmas!

這是在雪梨渡過的第三個耶誕節了..., 受到 Pinterest 網站上 DIY 高手們的感召, 我也東施效顰, 在馬路上撿枯枝, 漆上銀漆, 腦中想像著"極簡風" 耶誕樹, 可惜眼高手低, 最後的成果是淒涼風耶誕樹..., 還好 Andy友人及時送上聖誕紅, 加上我們彼此為對方準備的禮物, 稍稍撐起過節氣氛.

今年何家耶誕餐很省事, 雖然還是三道式的菜色, 但老何今年不當甜點師傅了, 今年何大爺買了澳洲時尚甜點大師 Adriano Zumbo 的耶誕布丁, 加上住家附近貴氣麵包店 Victoire Bakery的酒漬乾果派 (minced pie), 我們當天只需下廚處理火腿跟烤馬鈴薯罷了. 於是乎, 耶誕節當天一早起來, 騎腳踏車的牽著車出門, 練Pilates的展開墊子各自健身, 在拖拉地用完早餐, 看完網路新聞, 抄完食譜後 (何大爺堅持要做 Jamie Oliver 版烤馬鈴薯), 好整以暇的踏進廚房準備主菜.

今年的菜單是: 夏日耶誕香料酒 / 龍蝦配包心菜沙拉, 佐檸檬芥末醬 / 蜂蜜芥末烤火腿配脆皮馬鈴薯 / 耶誕布丁和酒漬乾果派

Andy在前一天已用薑, 香茅, 丁香, all spice, 加紅糖熬了糖漿, 耶誕節這天, 他將糖漿跟氣泡水, Vodka, 薄荷葉, 薑片, 香茅混合, 便成夏季版 Christmas Mulled wine.

沙拉部份, 本應用耶誕應景蔬菜 – 迷你包心橄欖菜來製作, 但兩位慢牛為過節採購當然是慢半拍, 迷你包心橄欖菜早被人搶購一空, 所以用高麗菜切細絲來代替, 切完冰鎮後, 配上酪梨, 伴入檸檬芥末沙拉醬, 非常爽口. 龍蝦部份直接切半, 用熱鍋兩面各煎 3 分鐘即可擺盤. 在等龍蝦熟的時間已經喝掉半杯的香料酒了…

Andy在廚房依Oliver大師的食譜按部就班烹煮馬鈴薯時, 我可沒閒著, 在旁殺了8顆柳橙, 擠出600ml的柳橙汁, 跟八角, 法式芥末, 蜂蜜攪拌成火腿淋醬, 待Andy將火腿劃完方格, 插上丁香, 我也照表操課, 每15分鐘為火腿淋上一次醬汁, 90分鐘後沾了香濃醬汁的蜜汁火腿即可上桌!

說到這主菜, 並不是何大爺愛吃火腿, 東方俗人, 我, 建議今年換口味準備烤雞, 但何大爺堅持耶誕節從烤箱出來的雞非火雞不可, 想到我們光吃一隻火雞腿可能就飽肚了, 後續要處理其他部份的火雞壓力實在太大, 所以還是回到原點, 準備火腿較實際…

今年耶誕節天公不做美, 前一天還是個可以曬人乾的大熱天, 入夜卻下起了豪雨, 老天還很堅持地下了一整個耶誕節的雨, 很多澳洲家庭的海灘耶誕烤肉大計都泡湯了, 我們餐後出門逛逛, 好奇地繞到Balmoral Beach看看, 這個夏季週末人人用海灘巾, 烤肉架佔地盤的海灘, 今天冷冷清清, 只剩海鳥群聚覓食.

說到過耶誕節, 英國人過節實在跟我的耶誕節印象差很大, 已經搞不清楚是我的印象錯了, 還是英國人totally過錯了…, 在此列出差異處如下, 支持我的請舉手.

1. A: 耶誕大餐是中午吃的, 不是晚上

K: 明明就是晚上吃大餐不是嗎!?

2. A: 耶誕禮物是父母準備的, 不是聖誕老公公

K: 明明就是聖誕老公公給的!

3. A: 聖誕老公公給的是小禮物, 放在耶誕大襪子裡

K: 不是看聖誕老公公高興放襪子, 或耶誕樹下嗎?!

4. A: 耶誕禮物是耶誕節當天吃完早餐拆開

K: 這個我無所謂…, 但吃完耶誕大餐後才開不是可以讓過節氣氛在睡前畫下完美句點嗎? 就像春節, 吃完年夜飯領紅包, 大家肚子跟荷包都開心了.

最後讓我最納悶的是耶誕節大部份的家庭會準備 Christmas pudding (耶誕餐後甜點), mince pie (過節糕點), Christmas cake (耶誕節下午茶配的茶點), 這三樣甜點的餡料基本上都是糖漬乾果加白蘭地, 再和麵粉製成, 到底是英國人對吃真的很沒創意還是實在太愛酒漬水果了..., 這個問題可能跟歪國人不瞭平淡無味的豆腐, 為何可以做成各種菜式, 還百吃不膩一樣讓人費疑猜吧….

This is the third Christmas I had in Australia. Inspired and encouraged by the DIY projects posted by experts on Pinterest, I was thinking to make a minimal style Christmas tree, so we painted silver a few twigs which I had picked up in the street over the winter. After few hours of work and preparation, just like most of DIY works, the tree didn’t turn out to be anything near my imagination….lucky Andy brought back a Poinsettia from work, I put it next to our DIY tree to add a bit more Christmas atmosphere.

In preparation for the Christmas meal Andy resigned as pastry chef this year, instead buying mince pies from 2 pastry shops nearby our place, and a small Christmas pudding from celebrity pastry chef shop, Adriano Zumbo. Therefore, he could put most of his effort in making roasted potato in Jamie Oliver’s way and a summer style mulled wine.

Here is this year’s Christmas menu: summer mulled wine / lobster with avocado, cabbage salad in Dijon mustard, honey and lemon zest sauce / orange and vanilla glazed ham with crispy potatoes roasted with garlic and rosemary / Christmas pudding.

This Christmas was rather unusual as it was pouring with rain, I could imagine that lots of family must be in trouble in finding alternative sites from the beachfront BBQ…we went for a drive after the big meal and had a short walk at Balmoral Beach. It was nothing like Christmas Day in the past years, the only family having a big meal at the beach were seaguals…

After having few Christmas celebration over these years, I do have a big question regarding Christmas pudding, mince pies and Christmas cake. In my point of view, they are the same sort of thing made with flour, dried fruit and brandy, why would people like to have similar desserts, though in different forms, over the entire Christmas holidays? Well, when I had this question in mind, another voice came out from nowhere, questioning why white squared stuff without any flavor is so widely used in countless Chinese dishes…