To chef Sean Connolly, his fruit cake is the ultimate Christmas dessert – and not just because of its exquisite taste or festive appearance.
The cake represents everything that’s important about this time of year: family, tradition, kindness and generosity. The recipe comes from his beloved late-grandmother Esther, after whom he named his Auckland restaurant, and it features in one of his fondest memories of this remarkable lady.
“She made this fruit cake for her silver wedding celebration and she gave me the job of decorating it,” he recalls. “I was 10 or 11 years old and she just left me to it, even though it was a very important moment for her and it cost a fortune to build these cakes.”
Did Esther’s trust in him pay off?
“I made a hash of it!” he laughs. “I tried to get that beautiful smooth look, but it was a hot mess. But she loved it because I’d done it.”
Although Esther passed away when Sean was 13, her impact on him was life- changing. The skills and passion he learned from her, as well as his mother, have seen the Brit become one of Australasia’s top chefs, with a handful of much-admired restaurants both here and over the Tasman.
Now 56, he is based in Sydney but comes to New Zealand every month to oversee Esther at QT Auckland, where he is creative director of food and beverage.
His grandmother’s fruit cake – direct from her handwritten recipe, which he still has – is a recent addition to the menu there, served with Maraschino cherries and toasted Italian meringue for a Christmassy touch.
“Everyone loves a bit of fruit cake with marzipan,” he says. “This one is really robust and pungent. It’s got lots of alcohol in it and it’s a lovely way to finish off with something that’s not too sweet. It’s about delivering something unexpected.”
Surprisingly, he won’t be whipping it up for his family Christmas this year. His wife Jo has her own phenomenal fruit cake recipe and Sean is happy to “step aside quietly” while she handles desserts.
Esther takes the cake! Sean is serving up a sweet classic just like his gran would have done.
“Her father was a champion piemaker back in Yorkshire, so she’s got baker’s blood in her,” he explains.
The couple will host Christmas at their Byron Bay beach house, cooking for their three adult children, and half a dozen other friends and family members. They plan to take full advantage of the coastal location by serving up jumbo prawns, sides of smoked salmon, whole poached ocean trout and crab legs – something they were never able to do back in the UK.
“You’re lucky to see a prawn cocktail in Yorkshire for Christmas,” Sean says.
But they haven’t deserted their Northern Hemisphere roots entirely. Alongside the seafood feast, they’ll include a more traditional turkey, duck-fat roast potatoes and chipolatas wrapped in bacon.
In fact, Sean jokes that Jo’s body clock is “still confused”, even though they’ve lived in Australia since 1988. “She makes me stews in summer and salads in winter.”
While Christmas is a special time for the family, they make memories around the dinner table all year round. Their children, Eliza, Keira and Toby, are all in their twenties now. Two still live at home, and although one has moved out, “she comes back three times a week for dinner”, Sean says affectionately. “It’s just like having friends round the table now. I don’t see myself as a regular dad. I hope they see me as a friend.”
He’s looking forward to more of these treasured moments in 2024.
“I’m hoping for a healthy and prosperous New Year, with more fun and excitement. I want to open up more restaurants and expand my creativity.”
There’s no doubt about it – Esther would be proud.
Esther’s fruit cake
Fruity and festive: The silver wedding cake is perfect Christmas fare.
Ingredients
375g sultanas
250g raisins
250g currants
½ cup mixed peel
¾ cup cherries
½ cup dried apricots
250g butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup brandy
½ cup water
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp black treacle
2 tsp orange rind
1 tsp lemon rind
1 ¾ cups plain flour
½ cup self-raising flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup nuts, pecans or almonds
Maraschino cherries
Method
Combine fruit, butter, sugar, brandy and water in a pan. Stir on low heat, without boiling, while the sugar dissolves.
Bring to the boil and simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes. Let the pan cool before transferring to a mixing bowl.
Add eggs, treacle and rinds, stirring together. Sift in the dry ingredients. Divide between two loaf pans. Place almonds and cherries on top. Place in oven 130˚C fan for 2 ½ hours.
