Create a Christmas smorgasbord with this spiced pomegranate and orange ham as the centrepiece. Matched with a radish, watermelon and pomegranate salad and a spiral vegetable tart, there’s something for everyone at the table. Plus, the easy dinner rolls are a must-have recipe year-round!
Read on for the full recipes—part of our Home for Christmas recipe series, featuring holiday recipes and drink pairings perfect for family feasts.
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Spiced Pomegranate and Orange Ham
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour + 15 minutes
Serves: 16-20
Ingredients
375ml (1½ cups) freshly squeezed blood orange juice or orange juice
1 cup brown sugar
80ml pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp each crushed coriander seeds and fennel seeds
1 smoked ham, bone in
Pomegranate seeds, to serve
Fresh thyme, bay leaves and rosemary, to serve
Method for Spice Pomegranate and Orange Ham
1. Combine juice, sugar, molasses, mustard and spices in a saucepan over medium heat, stir to dissolve then bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced and thickened (about 5-7 minutes). Set aside to cool slightly (15 minutes).
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Peel back skin from ham; careful not to tear the fat. Use a sharp knife to score around the shank (reserve skin to use as a cover for the ham).
3. Score the fat, not the flesh, evenly with a small, sharp knife, maintaining an even depth all over with lines or a diamond pattern.
4. Place ham on a rack in a large roasting pan, pour over glaze and bake, basting at 20-minute intervals until golden, warmed through and glaze is thickened (1-½ hours). Rest for 30 minutes, garnish with fresh herbs and pomegranate, and serve.
Spiral Vegetable Tart
Ingredients
Filling
325g good-quality smooth ricotta
100ml crème fraîche
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
100g good-quality pesto, plus extra for serving
50g parmesan, finely grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
Juice and zest of 1 lemon, plus extra juice for drizzling
2 eggs
4 long eggplant, thinly cut lengthways on a mandolin
4 zucchini, thinly cut lengthways on a mandolin
4 carrots, thinly cut lengthways on a mandolin
4 yellow or purple carrots, thinly cut lengthways on a mandolin
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Lemon wedges, to serve
Shortcrust Pastry
145g (1 cup) plain flour
125g unsalted butter, diced
3 tbsp ice cold water
Method for Spiral Vegetable Tart
1. For pastry, combine flour and butter in a food processor and pulse until it resembles a coarse meal. Add ice cold water in batches, while pulsing to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a clean surface and wrap the disc in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to a thin 35cm round then trim to make a 30cm circle. Place dough loosely into a 23cm-diameter loose bottomed fluted tart tin. Fold overhanging pastry back inside tin to make a double-thick edge. Refrigerate for an hour before blind-baking with pastry weights.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, crème fraîche, Dijon, pesto, parmesan, garlic, lemon juice and zest and stir to combine; season to taste.
3. Blind-bake the pastry crust for 15 minutes, remove paper and weights, and set aside to cool. Spread ricotta mix over base of pastry case.
4. Microwave slices of vegetable on high for a couple of minutes to soften and par cook.
5. Starting in the centre, place vegetable slices in a spiral pattern, spiralling tightly; and nestle into ricotta base.
6. Drizzle with extra pesto, olive oil and lemon juice and bake for 40 minutes.
7. Serve with lemon wedges; season to taste.
Radish, Watermelon and Pomegranate Salad
Ingredients
300g watermelon, sliced into rough triangles
1 bunch radish, thinly sliced
1 blood orange, peeled and segented
25g ricotta salata, shaved
75g pomegranate arils
Juice of 1 blood orange
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
60ml tarragon vinegar
1 tsp honey
Caramelised Walnuts
55g walnuts
50g caster sugar
Method for Radish, Watermelon and Pomegranate Salad
1. To caramelise walnuts, combine sugar and 1 tbsp water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, swirl to dissolve sugar and cook, swirling occasionally until golden brown (7-9 minutes). Spread walnuts over a lined baking tray, pour over hot caramel and set aside to cool, season with 2 tsp sea salt flakes.
2. For the salad dressing, combine blood orange juice, olive oil, vinegar and honey in a bowl and whisk vigorously to emulsify, season to taste, and set aside.
3. On a large serving plate, layer watermelon, radish and orange segents, scatter with ricotta salata and pomegranate arils. Coarsely chop caramelised walnuts and scatter over salad. Drizzle with dressing and serve.
Easy Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
500ml warm water
7g yeast
1 tsp sugar
640g baker’s flour
Vegetable oil, for coating bowl
Fennel seeds, crushed
Sesame seeds, toasted
Garlic Butter
50g salted butter
2garlic cloves, minced
Method for Easy Dinner Rolls
1. Whisk water, yeast and sugar in a bowl to combine until yeast dissolves, cover, and stand in a warm place for about 15 minutes or until frothy.
2. Combine flour and 2 tsp salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook; stir in yeast mixture; dough will be sticky, knead for about 7-10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in a large, oiled bowl, turning dough once to coat in oil. Cover; stand in a warm place for about 1 hour or until dough doubles in size.
3. Preheat the oven to 185°C fan-forced.
4. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead for about 1 minute or until smooth. Divide dough into quarters; divide each quarter into five pieces.
5. Shape each piece into a ball; place balls 5cm apart on two oiled oven trays. Spray lightly with oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; stand in a warm place for about 20 minutes or until dough doubles in size. (Can be refrigerated overnight at this stage. Stand at room temperature 1 hour before baking.)
6. For the burnt garlic butter, cook half the butter and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until foam appears and small toasty garlic bits drop to the bottom of the saucepan, swirl to incorporate, add remaining butter and garlic. Turn off heat and stir until combined. Set aside.
7. Preheat the oven to 185°C. Bake rolls, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. Brush with garlic butter and scatter with sesame and fennel seeds. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Drink Pairing: A lighter red wine, preferably chilled
Two to try: Brown Brothers Refreshing Tempranillo or Chaffey Bros Not Your Grandma’s Chillable Red.
The juicy yet tart berry notes in both these wines really enhance the flavours in the pomegranate glaze. The lightness of the wine means it pairs well with not only the ham but the salads and vegetable tart too. A chilled red is a great summer drink for the festive table.
Discover More Holiday Recipes in Our Home for Christmas Series
► Crab Doughnuts with Lemon and Chilli