Airdate: Christmas with Poh

ABC1 gets into the festive mood in a big way this week with a number of Christmas specials.

On Tuesday night it’s time for Poh Ling Yeow distinct styles in Christmas with Poh.

Poh Ling Yeow is searching for her own Australian Christmas. Her early years were spent in a Muslim country that doesn’t celebrate Christmas. Although she moved to Australia with her family when she was nine years old and there have been many Christmas celebrations since, her family has no real Christmas food traditions. For Poh, her story of Christmas is of a curry sitting beside a glazed ham.

Poh has three chef mates who are also migrants, but unlike her they grew up in families with strong Christmas traditions and brought this food with them to Australia. Emmanuel Mollois is French, Andre Ursini is Italian and Dennis Leslie is Filipino.

As Poh learns of their traditions, she helps to make their dishes and develops new dishes for her own Australian Christmas. With them, Poh discovers that an Australian Christmas table can be laden with offerings from many countries.

Emmanuel shows Poh how to make his Gateau Sully. Andre’s dish is Spinach Ricotta Rotolo while Dennis prepares Daing Isda with Atchara (Filipino Garlic Rice) and a refreshing Rockmelon Drink. Poh prepares her version of Sushi, glazes her first Christmas Ham and makes some traditional Malaysian Pineapple Tarts.

Amongst a mass of Christmas trees, Poh’s family and neighbours gather to savour the delicious food prepared by Poh and the chefs, and they also bring their own favourite Christmas dish to the table.

It’s Christmas with a difference – Poh is presenting a truly multicultural feast.

8pm Tuesday, 17 December ABC1