For most Filipinos, Christmas food is all about tradition, familiar tastes and flavors.
How about shaking things up a bit with new additions to the holiday table? That’s what San Miguel Pure Foods Company, Inc. is aiming for at a recent French-inspired Christmas dinner in Silang, Cavite.
Culinary services manager Llena Arcenas and her team asked chef Robbie Ripalda of The Domaine to come up with a French provincial feast, using fresh produce and items from the San Miguel Pure Foods product line.
“We’re so used to American Christmas traditions like Virginia ham and fruit salad that they are already considered Filipino traditions,” Arcenas said. “We wanted to try something new this year so guests could experience how the French celebrate Christmas.”
That evening, kings and queens of the night were crowned, French carols were sung by a trio, an actual Yule log was set ablaze, and 13 desserts representing Jesus and his 12 apostles awaited sampling.
The menu was French provincial fare because it is hearty and uses a lot of mushrooms and meat like ham and beef—items many Filipinos enjoy eating. Ripalda had no problem coming up with the extensive menu as he finished culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu Paris where he received a diploma in Cuisine and placed third in his batch.
He also received a diploma in Patisserie and impressive citations as well. His credentials opened numerous doors such as work as commis cuisinier at the historic Hotel de Crillon in 2010. The following year, he moved to Champagne where he worked in the luxurious Chateau les Creyeres. This was followed by a stint at Relais Gourmand Pierre Hermes.
For starters, we nibbled on Rosemary Tuiles with bacon cream cheese, Chive Cream Cheese Profiteroles, and Chicken Rillets with caramelized onions before tucking into the main dishes like Pork Trotter with parsley terrine, Traditional Cassoulet (bean and sausage stew from the Toulouse region), Oxtail Pot-au-feu (oxtail soup with root vegetables), and Smoked Jamon Royale.
“This event highlights the versatility of San Miguel Pure Foods products in delivering an authentic French menu as prepared by chef Robbie who happens to specialize in French cuisine,” Arcenas said.
For the trotter with parsley terrine, the chef used Monterey pork while for the Chicken Ballotine in Sauce Supreme he used Magnolia chicken.
For dessert at The Domaine that night, Ripalda prepared two kinds of edible Yule logs (rose and white chocolate, and passion fruit with white chocolate), Grand Marnier and rose-flavored Madeleines, and Croquemboche a la Noel (cream puffs or choux pastry stacked into a conical shape).
Consider introducing a new dish to the Christmas table like this traditional Cassoulet that uses Bockwurst, Schublig and honey-cured bacon from the Purefoods Deli line:
Cassoulet Toulousain
Ingredients:
100 ml Ibero Olive Oil
750 g Purefoods Deli Bockwurst
750 g Purefoods Deli Schublig
600 g Purefoods Classic Honey Cured Bacon, cubed
8 pcs red onions, minced
3 pcs carrots, diced
3 k tomatoes, blanched, peeled, deseeded and minced
½ k garlic
1,500 ml chicken stock
2 k white beans, soaked in water overnight
1 pc bayleaf
Peppercorns to taste
Thyme to taste
200 g breadcrumbs
Procedure:
1) In a wide pot, add olive oil and pan roast the sausages and bacon until caramelized. Remove from the pan and add all the vegetables except the beans. Add chicken stock, beans, herbs and seasoning, and caramelized sausages and bacon.
2) Simmer until the beans are cooked and the flavors have come together. Adjust seasoning if needed.
3) Transfer into containers and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake for 15 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are brown.