Family Christmas Feasting 2012 - Lunch

I vividly recall the photos of the family feast that A purposely taunted me with back in the Christmas of 2011. That image of lobster, oysters and other yummy stuff has never really left my mind ever since.
I briefly thought to myself, I must make myself a part of this family (feast) one day.
A year later, I really did :)

So when he messaged me that my awaited #EventOfTheYear was happening on Christmas Day at his sister's house, I am kind of embarrassed to admit that it's not even a joke.
I had been anticipating this family feast for an entire year.
I just don't let him know that this is one of the reasons why we are together.

We had started driving when we realised we forgot our fuel for the long drive. Doing a detour back home, we loaded up with enough chilled flavoured kit kats to fuel us for the road trip down south to our destination, on a stinking hot 40 degrees Celsius day.

Sushi that wasn't for us

Having a toddler in the house who only eats certain food and occasionally his iPad, A's nephew  has access to his own private sushi buffet that get played with more than they get eaten.

Smoked Salmon platter

Things kicked off with a large platter of juicy smoked salmon, which we ate dipped into wasabi and soy sauce or with a squeeze of lemon.

I don't like being deceived by looks - if my salmon looks raw, as it does when it is smoked, I'd much prefer it actually being raw. I love my sashimi and to me, smoked salmon is just a tease.

I was pleasantly surprised however, by how moist and fresh these were, and how close they resembled raw fish because they didn't have that strong salty characteristic of smoked salmon. I drowned these in soy sauce and wasabi and happily pretended I was in sashimi heaven.

Mango Prawn Salad

When A told me what was going to be featured on the day's menu, I salivated so hard in my mind (most likely physically, too). The words Mango Prawn Salad rang in my head loud and clear, and I knew that with 2 of my favourite foods working their magic together, things could only go right.

The sight of this was magnificent and ever so unique, and I was ridiculously sad when I realised there was only enough for 2 per person.

Each mango was cut in half, the sweet golden flesh scooped out and refilled back into the now empty mango bowl, with the skin still in tact. Already refreshingly juicy on its own, the chunks of mango are added with whole prawns and tossed through a creamy mayonnaise dressing.

That sweet fruity taste and creamy texture go wonderfully well together, like a strawberries and cream thing.

There were also oven-cooked sausages, that were just too big to fit in (my stomach)!

Crispy skinned oven-roasted chicken

As we gobbled down through our starters, the chicken was quietly roasting in the oven and filling the air with its distinguishable mouthwatering that's-gotta-be-roast-chicken aroma.

These hefty chicken thigh and drumstick pieces were initially pan-fried to seal in its juices then finished off in the oven, and basted all over with a juicy sweet celery, carrot and onion mix after caramelising in the fry pan.

So tender, so juicy, so damn crispy.

Not just any potato salad

This was made by A's sister, and is enough to make me say this is probably the best potato salad I have ever tasted. Halfway between mashed potato and your normal chunky potato salad, it features your usual egg, bacon bits, cucumber and mayonnaise ingredients.

But bashing the potato chunks down into mash, takes it to a level of creaminess that goes beyond the already-creamy level that normal potato salad can ever provide you with.

Espresso shot

I'm not a coffee drinker let alone espresso shots, but with the words coconut flavoured, I was sold right then and there.

Fruit platter

Absolutely bulging at the waistline by now, but nobody passed up the fruit platter that served up refreshingly sweet grapes, cherries and rockmelon.

It is very entertaining to watch A's nephew interact with fruit he is given, as on one incident he dropped a watermelon, rubbed it on the floor a few times and picked it up to feed his dad.

Growing a little older now, there is slight improvement, as he now rubs it on the table then eats it himself instead.

Chocolate selection

The eating continued with an ongoing passing of the chocolate plate around, loaded up with assorted Lindor chocolate balls, Ferrero Rocher and coconut coated chocolate rum balls.

Christmas is really just an anagram for chocolate!

I was secretly wishing that A's dad would serve up his delicious Cherries Jubilee - spiced cherries flambéed in port wine syrup, which we savoured over an orange, pineapple and coconut ice cream on one occassion.

That amazing bittersweet flavour was My Perfect Ending. The best bit however, was seeing the kitchen go up in flames, just momentarily!

Merry ex Christmas!

Yet another reminiscent Christmas tree, to painfully remind you that the wonderful, short lived, unrestrained consumption, health unconscious festive days are all, over.

Now to start the countdown towards the next Event of the Year :)