Posted on Friday, 23ʳᵈ August, 2024
With Christmas planning in full swing, we recently surveyed 20 Chefs from casual dining venues across Australia and New Zealand to understand what’s cooking on menus for the upcoming festive season.
We learned that customers are on the lookout for traditional Christmas favourites reinvented with modern twists. From roast turkey and glazed ham to succulent seafood and summer salads, many chefs are keen to reimagine classic dishes with hot new takes.
Modernised Comfort Food is one of eight current culinary movements identified in the 2024 edition of our Future Menus trend report. In short, it recognises that diners continue to seek out foods that evoke nostalgia and happiness, but they also crave a layer of authenticity and creativity to elevate these dishes into exciting new areas.
With growing demand for fusion flavours, on-trend ingredients, mindful eating, exciting vegetables and new ways of presenting dishes, diners are keen for little reinventions of their traditional Christmas favourites at a reasonable cost.
In consideration of the latest food trends, here are a few modernised ideas from us:
Consider pairing roast turkey with lemon myrtle for an authentic local twist in Australia or add mānuka honey to the traditional sticky glazed roast ham in New Zealand.
More mindfully, think about offering diners an alternative to the traditional meaty protein with some irresistible and nutritious vegetables and legumes, like a nut roast of sweet potato and lentil or chestnut and cashew.
Lean into Asian flavours by combining them with traditional Christmas formats to create exciting fusion pairings, such as sticky lamb ribs with honey soy sauce and Thai sweet chilli jam or a roast chicken with tom yum marinade.
Citrus adds a uniquely lighter and sweeter note to traditional Christmas dishes. A conventional chicken salad with the addition of finger lime, avocado and chilli takes on a new profile, while charred prawn skewers laced with a hint of lime captures the sunny spirit of summer.
As Australia and New Zealand become more secular and multicultural, diners will anticipate wider interpretations of the Christmas menu. By leaning into new expectations that expand our understanding of comfort food, kitchens will better meet the growing trend for a modernisation of traditional Christmas menus.
Disclaimer: The content of this article is created for inspiration purposes only. It is not intended as clinical, medical or nutritional advice.
