Peta Mathias on Christmas

There are many thrilling ways to celebrate Christmas Day and you’re the one who controls how it goes, because you’re the domestic goddess.

Be organised, have sips of chilled white wine and make lists – mostly of things other people can do.

The day can be very low-key, with items such as mince pies and bubbly, or a huge production with lights, action, games, exploding puddings, electric Santas and the parish priest, or anything in-between.

If you are a churchgoer, you could go to midnight mass then have a party afterwards and open presents. In the morning, if you’re in Auckland, you can take yourself off to the City oission and help out with their Christmas meals for thousands of people.

Lots of people have a picnic on the beach, which I think is a really good idea.

If you’re planning to do this, prepare everything in advance, take lots of blankets to sit on and pack real wine glasses, lots of classy paper serviettes and disposable plates.

You should take smoked mussels, cold roasted organic chicken, sliced ham, cherry tomatoes, blanched cold asparagus, mayonnaise, baguettes that can be just pulled apart, cold plum pudding with custard, wine, fruit juices and water.

If you’re alone and don’t have any family where you live, there are bound to be other people in the same situation, so have a desperados Christmas lunch.

You and your friends get together and everyone brings one fabulous special thing to eat. Tell them what to bring
or they will all turn up with a green salad.

Here are some suggestions – raw fish marinated with coconut cream and limes, duck breasts that can be grilled on the barbecue, pomegranate molasses gravy, a salad of celery, fennel, hazelnuts, parmesan and parsley, fried new potatoes and garlic heads, or a luscious trifle.

Remember – Christmas spirit doesn’t come through the chimney, it comes through the heart.

Peta’s perfect Christmas Punch
Ready in 10 minutes plus chilling time. Makes 5½ litres

2 litres red grapefruit juice
1 litres lapsang souchong tea
4 tbsp orange blossom water
850ml mango nectar
4 finely sliced limes
8 cardamons, squashed
2 tbsp orange rind, finely sliced
8 sprigs of mint
The seeds of a pomegranate
2 litres soda water
Ice

1. Mix the first nine ingredients together and chill. Add the cold soda water and ice just before serving.

In my family we all contribute to Christmas dinner. We have peas, roast potatoes, red and green salads, an organic ham, pavlova, Christmas cake and plum pudding, which we light with flaming brandy.

In recent years my favourite food has been turkey that has been brined and stuffed with garlic bread, then roasted and glazed with cream and balsamic vinegar. I can’t tell you how delicious it is!