Traditional Kiwi Christmas dinner

It often seems odd that in the middle of summer in New Zealand we sit down to a hot roast dinner on Christmas Day.  This tradition probably began with the early settlers in the 19th century who wanted to recreate memories of midwinter Christmas at ‘home’ in England. 

The traditional Christmas dinner hasn’t  lost its popularity even though today there are lots of ways to serve festive food at Christmas, including barbecues and cold meals for outdoor eating. 

For those who want to try a traditional Christmas dinner though, here’s a main menu to try.  Its really not too hard to do.

Firstly decide what meat you’ll have.  Roast lamb has been a traditional Christmas roast but now is rather expensive.  Pork, chicken or turkey roasts are more popular.  A whole roast chicken is very manageable for your first attempt at Christmas dinner for a small group.  If you are cooking for more than six people you can cook two chickens.  Chicken is economical but at the same time looks festive. 

Even if you have roast chicken often, it is unlikely you will fill the cavity with stuffing on a regular basis. But if you make a stuffing for your Christmas roast chicken it will seem quite special.

Follow the instructions for how to cook a roast dinner with your chosen meat.