Family Christmas 2009: Alaskan King Crab, Homemade Panna Cotta and Mahjong (25 Dec 2009)

Alaskan King Crab ... mmm!

Christmas with my family has traditionally been eating copious amounts of seafood, watching a comedy movie like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, digesting, feeling very full and then having left overs for dinner. This year is no different except for the inclusion of trying Alaskan King Crab for the first time which I bought 36 hours prior from the Sydney Fish Market. I was fearing the amount you pay would somehow be disappointing but it was great. Finally, some real juicy chunks of crab meat which doesn't take painful and fiddly efforts to extract from the shell — I can never go back now. OMG look at the size of this monster — Alien is alive!

The soft French cheese Munster Gerome is full of great flavour and strong on the nose. Pacific Oysters were nice and plump. We always seem to prefer Boston Bay Mussels which are pre scrubbed and de-bearded. This time we cooked them in a simple white wine and fresh cream recipe with butter, salt, pepper, onions and parsley. Mum and Dad successfully made a Thai beef and prawn salad for the first time. We always get cooked Tiger Prawns and a lobster to share (Coles was only $18). As a special dessert treat my brother prepared Vanilla Panna Cotta and Fresh Berries with caramel sauce and shaved dark chocolate (picture above) which went very nicely with the 2008 Brokenwood Sauvignon Blanc Semillon dessert wine. And to top off the sugar hit we shared Adora chocolates and a Magnum Sandwich with almond ice cream — my beating stomach be still.

Between lunch and dinner it was time for a movie to pass the time while feeling very full and then my dad tried to teach us Mahjong. My god it's a hard one to learn — for me anyway. He competes in competitions so plays regularly. Before lunch I did a drive by Chauvel Street in North Ryde to check out the Christmas decorations which was blogged on FoodiePop — hope to visit at night which will obviously be much better.

Other Family Christmas lunches:

• 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008

Alaskan King Crab $51.55 ($59/kg)

French Munster Gerome cheese $24.90 (200g)

Pacific oysters, $18.90/dozen

Boston Bay Mussels ($6.99/kg) with white wine and cream sauce

Large Tiger Prawns (20 for $25.94)

Smoked ham and turkey

Lobster ($18 each from Coles)

Large Tiger Prawns for Thai salad (10 for $21.44)

Thai beef and prawn salad

Table set for Christmas Lunch

Vanilla panna cotta with fresh berries, Chef Pat

Fresh herbs for Thai salad and cooking

2008 Brokenwood Sauvignon Blanc Semillon dessert wine

Adora chocolates

Magnum sandwich with almonds ice cream

Mahjong setup

Dad teaching us the rules of Mahjong

Beers to help with Mahjong concentration

Left overs for dinner

Dinner dessert — Meringue with fresh cream, mixed berries and passionfruit

My Presents

MasterChef Australia MasterClass DVD

Pimm's — Great with Dry Ginger Ale, Lemon and Cucumber

Lottery scratchies — WOOHOO I win $2 and $4 :-)

Christmas Street Decorations

Chauvel street Christmas light decorations by day, North Ryde