I love Christmas because it’s the time of year when there are many tasty pickings and new food finds.
Recently I found what is now my favorite “instant” meal. Pier 33 Gourmet Mussels are divinely delicate with a clean, pristine taste and soft chewiness. Each bite is a juicy burst, a complex explosion of the best flavors of the sea.
These mussels are farmed in the contaminant-free waters of the inland sea of Chiloé Island, south of Chile. Considered all-natural, the shellfish are left to grow free of human intervention.
For that splendid meal, all I did was fry some potatoes until golden, heat up a pan and empty the bag of frozen mussels.
In a minute I had my moules-frites (mussels and fries)!
Pier 33 Gourmet Mussels come in two variants—Butter and Garlic, and White Wine with Herbs. The first is intensely flavorful; the second, ultra delicate.
Have them in your freezer for impromptu holiday guests. You will never go wrong, in fact you will surely impress!
Scottish smoked salmon
Another happy find is St. James Scotch Reserve Smoked Salmon, made by one of the few remaining family-owned smokehouses of its kind—in the Scottish lowland village of Annan, founded by Brendan Maher and his wife Alexandra.
The salmon is responsibly sourced from the nearby fast-flowing waters of Western Scotland. Using natural ingredients and traditional methods, the fish are smoked with oak chips from malt whisky casks.
I was thrilled to know that this award-winning salmon comes in eight different flavors: Garlic and Pepper, Gin and Tonic, Gravlax, Limoncello, Mimosa (Champagne and Orange), Mojito, Whiskey and Honey, Orange and Pepper.
My personal favorites are the Whiskey and Honey and Garlic and Pepper—these flavors transform the salmon’s character into something meatier, more robust, bold, deep, rounded and full to the bite.
I like the Gin and Tonic, too, though it’s the exact opposite of the aforementioned flavors. It is light and refreshing, and so is the Mimosa—the difference is that the Mimosa has a citrusy zing.
St. James Scotch Reserve Smoked Salmon will surely perk up any holiday spread.
Pier 33 Gourmet Mussels and St. James Scotch Reserve Smoked Salmon are available at Rustan’s Supermarket.
Festive hams
Next Thursday is Christmas Eve and noche buena won’t be complete without ham.
Here are two festive ham recipes (one easier to do than the other) shared by the chefs of San Miguel Purefoods Culinary Center.
Purefoods Fiesta Ham Wellington with Orange Marmalade Glaze
1 k Purefoods Fiesta Ham, thawed
½ c brown sugar
Glaze:
½ c orange marmalade
2 tbsp prepared mustard
1/3 c brown sugar
½ c water
Crust:
½ k flour
½ tsp iodized fine salt
1 tbsp sugar
½ c Magnolia Gold Butter, cut into cubes
1 pc egg, beaten
½ c cold water
Egg wash:
1 egg yolk mixed with 2 tbsp water
Procedure:
Mix glaze ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over moderate heat until consistency resembles maple syrup. Set aside.
Sift flour with sugar and salt. Cut in butter to make pea-size crumbs.
Slowly add beaten egg and half of the water. Mix until dough comes together to form a ball. Add more water if the crust is too dry.
Knead for 2-3 minutes, then wrap dough with plastic wrap.
Chill dough for at least 30 minutes.
Brush ham with glaze. Roll out the dough to ¼-inch thickness.
Encase glazed ham. Brush surface with egg wash then bake in preheated oven (320ºF) for 40 minutes or until brown.
Serve with remaining glaze on the side.
Purefoods Fiesta Ham with Beer Glaze
Ingredients:
1 piece, 1 k Purefoods Fiesta Ham, thawed
Brown sugar for dredging
Glaze:
¼ c San Miguel Cerveza Negra
¼ c honey
½ c orange or pineapple juice, unsweetened
2 tbsp sugar
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Dredge ham with sugar.
Mix all glaze ingredients in a saucepan. Let simmer and continue to cook until mixture is slightly thickened.
Bake ham for 15-20 minutes. Brush occasionally with prepared glaze.
Slice. Serve glaze on the side.
