Australian Home Table Herbed Yogurt Holiday Plate

About This Recipe

Because Christmas falls in the middle of an Australian summer, the traditional heavy roast dinner has largely given way to lighter spreads built around cold glazed ham, char-grilled vegetables and fresh sauces that don't require standing over a hot oven all day. This holiday plate leans into that shift: honey-mustard glazed ham slices, roasted pumpkin and sweet potato, and a herbed yogurt sauce loaded with mint, parsley and lemon that cuts through the richness of the meat. The ham itself is usually store-bought and pre-cooked in Australian households, so the real cooking here goes into the glaze and the vegetables -- roasting pumpkin wedges until the edges caramelize while the yogurt sauce comes together in minutes with fresh herbs, garlic and lemon zest. It's a format built for buffet-style serving, since most Australian Christmas gatherings happen outdoors or with doors thrown open to the garden. The result is a generous, colorful platter that balances sweet glazed ham, earthy roasted vegetables, and a cool, herby sauce -- practical for a hot day and easy to scale up for a crowd.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 kgpre-cooked ham(sliced)
• 3 tbsphoney
• 2 tbspwholegrain mustard
• 800 gpumpkin(cut into wedges)
• 3 tbspolive oil(divided)
• 1 cupplain Greek yogurt
• 0.5 cupmint leaves(chopped)
• 0.5 cupparsley(chopped)
• 1garlic clove(grated)
• 1lemon(zested and juiced)
• 1 tspfine sea salt(plus more to taste)
• 0.5 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast the pumpkin

   Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss pumpkin wedges with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast 30 to 35 minutes, turning once, until tender and caramelized at the edges.

2. 2

   Warm and glaze the ham

   Whisk honey and mustard together. If serving the ham warm, brush the glaze over slices and warm gently in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 minutes; if serving cold, brush the glaze on just before plating.

   Most Australian households serve the ham cold straight from the fridge -- it's just as traditional as warming it and far less fuss on a hot day.

3. 3

   Make the herbed yogurt

   Stir together yogurt, mint, parsley, garlic, lemon zest and juice, remaining olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust lemon and salt to balance.

4. 4

   Assemble the platter

   Arrange the ham slices and roasted pumpkin on a large platter, leaving room for the yogurt sauce in a bowl on the side or drizzled over the top.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled, with the herbed yogurt spooned generously over the ham and vegetables just before guests dig in.

Variations

• •

  Prawn addition: add a platter of cooked, chilled prawns alongside the ham for a classic Aussie Christmas seafood-and-meat combination.

• •

  Vegetarian version: skip the ham and double the roasted vegetables, adding haloumi for a savory, protein-rich alternative.

• •

  Stone fruit version: add sliced fresh peaches or nectarines to the platter for extra sweetness that pairs well with the salty ham.

Storage

Store leftover ham tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to 5 days. Keep the yogurt sauce in a separate airtight container for up to 3 days; the roasted pumpkin keeps 3 days and is good cold or reheated.

Frequently Asked Questions