Seafood, Spice and Festive Tipples - Christmas Made Easy with Marco, Olly and Atul

    LONDON, ENGLAND, December 04, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The two chefs, both of whom have restaurants on P&O Cruises ships, show how to make Christmas menus which will impress friends and family, but be simple and stress-free to prepare.

Marco shows how to make a seafood platter for Christmas Eve with a variety of fresh ingredients including Scottish lobsters, Colchester oysters, whelks from the south coast, Dublin Bay prawns/langoustines, crabs from Cornwall and prawns.

To accompany the seafood platter Marco prepares fresh tartare sauce, shallot & red wine vinegar and classic Marie Rose sauce.

Celebrity wine expert, Olly Smith, who has The Glass House wine bar and restaurant on Azura, joins Marco to taste the seafood and chooses the following wines to accompany the dish:
- Blind River Sauvignon Blanc 2010, New Zealand GBP12.49, Majestic (Glass House favourite)
- Taste the Difference Rias Baixas Albarino 2010, Spain GBP7.99, Sainsburys
- Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs 2004 Grand Cru Champagne, France, GBP30.99, Waitrose

In the second video, renowned Indian chef Atul Kochhar who has the Sindhu restaurant on Azura, shows how to make filo turkey biryani parcels with coconut gravy; aromatic turkey burgers with cranberry chutney and spicy vegetables.

Olly joins his Saturday Kitchen co-presenter to make recommendations for Atul's piquant menu which include:
- Ken Forrester The Work Horse Chenin Blanc, South Africa GBP7.99, Marks & Spencer, which is, according to Olly "the little cousin of the FMC big seller in The Glass House and great with mild spicy cooking."
- Wither Hills Pinot Gris 2011 New Zealand GBP9.99, Waitrose
- Peller Sparkling Ice Cuvee, Canada GBP21.90, www.slurp.co.uk

In a third video Olly Smith makes wine recommendations to accompany Christmas lunch. He chooses interesting "off the beaten track" wines which will pair well with the celebratory meal.
- Coates and Seely Rose Hampshire sparkling wine GBP29.90, www.slurp.co.uk
- Frog's Leap Zinfandel 2008, California GBP22.79, Waitrose
- Sainsburys Taste the Difference 12 year old sweet Pedro Ximenez sherry (with Christmas pudding) GBP7.99, Sainsburys

All videos can be viewed at www.youtube.com/pandocruises and direct links to each video are:

Marco Pierre White's seafood platter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzjY-RRMhIM&feature=related

Atul Kochhar's Boxing Day feast
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwDZVQtpqd8

Olly Smith's festive tipples
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qds1oRNVmvw

About P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises can trace its roots back to 1837 when the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company was awarded the lucrative Admiralty contract to carry mail to the Iberian Peninsula and beyond. Not long afterwards the concept of cruising was born and since then has evolved into a popular holiday choice and now P&O Cruises carries more British cruisers than any other line. Today, as trusted cruise experts, P&O Cruises has a fleet of seven cruise liners offering holidays tailored to British tastes combining genuine service, a sense of occasion and attention to detail, ensuring passengers have the holiday of a lifetime, every time. Azura was launched in April 2010 - officially named by Godmother Darcey Bussell CBE. Small ship Adonia was added to the fleet in May 2011, named by Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE, and a new 141,000 ton as yet unnamed ship will be added to the fleet in spring 2015. P&O Cruises offer passengers the most stylish and contemporary holidays afloat including cruises to the Caribbean, cruises to the Mediterranean, & luxury short cruises. P&O Cruises offer direct Southampton cruises or fly-cruise holidays from many regional airports. Don't miss your chance to book a cruise with P&O Cruises today, with plenty of cruise offers online.

Website: http://www.pocruises.com

For further press information please contact:
Michele Andjel, [email protected] 023 8065 6653/07730 732 072
Kate Rist, [email protected] 023 8065 6652/07730 732 065
Jess Reid, [email protected] 023 8065 6650 / 07795 052 973

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