If you’ve ever looked up a recipe online, you’ve probably come across Nagi Maehashi from RecipeTin Eats.
Her easy, flavour-packed meals have earned her a loyal following, but this Christmas, she’s serving up something even more impressive: a first look inside her brand-new dream home, which she began renovating in October last year.
“Nagi, this is unrecognisable,” says Better Homes and Gardens host Johanna Griggs. “There was nothing here…just dirt.”
“I know,” Nagi laughs. “It’s my absolute dream home now — but sometimes it was like a nightmare.”
Nagi’s dream kitchen
Now Nagi’s home is bright and welcoming, built for connection, calm, and of course, cooking.
The real star, though? Nagi’s kitchen. She’s gone for pale grey cabinets with brass handles, a marble wall behind the stove, and a matching island bench. It all feels modern yet warm, and the range hood with its brass trim is a real showstopper.
For Joh, though, she’s blown away by the benchspace.
“Look at the benchspace!” says Joh. “Later today, when I’m making lunch for you, you’ll see it all filled,” adds Nagi.
Her favourite part?
And then there’s her favourite part of her kitchen: the sauce drawer.
“Okay, so here’s one of my favourites. We’ve got the sauce drawer,” Nagi says while pulling the drawer out to show her collection of perfectly organised sauces right within arm’s reach.
Later, the kitchen comes alive as Nagi prepares a Christmas meal for her builders, the RecipeTin Meals team, and her mum. The party starts with snacks: Parmesan shortbread crackers with quince paste, whipped ricotta, and crispy prosciutto; sushi rolls cut into neat circles; fresh oysters served with a cold cucumber and jalapeño ice; and a large plate of prawns accompanied by her special dipping sauce.
The main meal is a classic: ham with a maple glaze, Christmas salmon with dill cream. There’s also chicken with a Christmas glaze, a pomegranate salad with bacon, blue cheese, and blood oranges, and a simple French salad.
For dessert, she brings out the star of the show — a meringue tart that goes on for 2.5 metres down the table. Her trick is to bake separate meringue pieces, then assemble them to create one amazing, never-ending dessert.
If you’d like to cook like Nagi, you can find all her most-loved dishes in her bestselling cookbooks, RecipeTin Eats: Tonight and RecipeTin Eats: Dinner.
As always, Nagi’s kindness goes far beyond her own table. Through her charity, RecipeTin Meals, she and her team cook and deliver thousands of fresh meals to Australians in need.
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