How to host the ultimate Christmas feast like Matt Moran

Amid the glorious garden surrounds of Chiswick, his Woollahra restaurant, Matt Moran hosts the delicious. team for our annual festive feast. On the classic menu, oysters, prawns, a stunning ham, award-winning cheeses and Matt’s decadent Chrissy pud. Photography by Chris Court.

As Matt Moran prepares for his busiest festive season in years – huge new Moran venues in Sydney’s Barangaroo and Brisbane’s South Bank have just opened – the no-nonsense chef and restaurateur found time to throw a Christmas lunch for delicious. at Chiswick, his restaurant in Sydney’s Woollahra.

“delicious. has been a massive supporter for years. I was actually in the first edition of the magazine, at my house in Redfern,” he says. “So this is my way of giving back – lunch in the beautiful Chiswick gardens on a beautiful day.”

Not that he needs the practice, but also consider this a dry run for Christmas at Matt’s. “Christmas Day is my big day at home. I cook from the night before and I love it. I find it really therapeutic. I get up early and cook all day. Seafood – some prawns, bake a salmon. I do a ham, a goose, a turkey. And I normally do a little bit of roast pork, and then all the sides and salads. And Christmas pudding. All the family come over, plus friends. The whole idea is to make excess so I have leftovers for the next week. For me, that’s what Christmas is about.”

Set the scene

Style

“Always relaxed and casual,” says Matt. “If the weather’s nice, I like to entertain outside.” For the delicious. lunch, flowers and foliage for the table came from Chiswick’s kitchen garden, and festive wreaths added to the Christmas flavour.

Wooden and ceramic serving dishes complemented this celebration of nature.

Menu

“This is my favourite part!” says Matt. “I love preparing a massive feed, but I plan and prep ahead so I can spend my time with guests on the day. My Christmas feast is typically an Australian spin on the traditional. There’s always a ham, but I’ll have warmer-weather fare, too, such as oysters and other seafood.”