Dalandan-Glazed Christmas Ham
1 Purefoods Fiesta Ham, bone-in
unsweetened pineapple juice, enough to submerge ham
1 tbsp cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp all spice berries or 2 tsp ground all spice
Submerge ham in pineapple juice; add spices.
Leave to soak in pineapple juice overnight inside the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 350.
Put ham on top of a rack over a baking tray filled with 1 inch of water. Make sure ham does not touch water.
Bake ham covered with foil for 1 hour
After 1 hour, remove foil and brush ham with glaze every 5 minutes for the next 30 minutes; this time covering the ham loosely with Glad bake paper after brushing (foil might stick to ham once sugar glaze is applied and might leave uneven patches on it).
Remove ham from oven.
Score ham and stud with cloves.
Brush ham liberally with English mustard.
Pat top side of ham with light brown sugar to form a thin crust.
Torch ham to caramelize sugar or return to oven and bake until sugar has melted and formed a crust.
Serve with bread, sauce and assorted mustards.
Glaze
1 c dalandan juice
2 tbsp English mustard
½ – ¾ c white sugar, adjust according to taste
1 c ham marinade
2 cloves
½ c water
1 tsp all spice
¼ c Tanduay Rum 5 years
1 tbsp butter
Combine in a saucepan except butter…
And cook until jam-my.
Process
Add butter.
Sugar crust
1½ c light brown sugar
Sauce
3 c ham marinade
½ c brown sugar, adjust to taste
½ corn syrup
1 c dalandan juice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp all spice
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp yellow mustard
¼ c rum
½ c raisins soaked in water
salt
pepper
Combine in a saucepan.
Cook until reduced.
Thicken with 1 tbsp butter mixed with 1 tbsp flour, adding a little at a time, whisking until desired consistency or with cornstarch slurry if necessary.
Salad of Mixed Greens with Dried Fruits, Katuray Flowers and Queso de Bola Dressing
Salad Time mixed greens with arugula
katuray flowers, washed
dried cranberries
dried mangoes
shallots, sliced thinly
walnuts
Arrange on a platter or salad bowl.
Dressing:
¾ c Magnolia Queso de Bola, grated
¾ c plain yogurt
¾ c sour cream
water to thin, just enough to get desired consistency of dressing
2-3 tsp vinegar, adjust to taste
2 tsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1-2 tsp sugar, adjust to taste
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Process in a blender.
Chill and serve.
This dressing is a perfect match to the bitterness of the katuray and arugula.
French treats
Now, if you don’t want to cook, call Michele d’Orival for her elaborate French Christmas dishes.
When it comes to patés, mousses and terrines, few make a selection as vast as chef Michele of La Cuisine Francaise. Some of her patés and terrines: with pistachio, with blue cheese, Country, with cognac, Three Fish Tricolor Paté, Duck with Orange, Chicken with Calvados, Vegetable Terrine, Pork w/ Apricots and Hazelnuts, Foie Gras Mousse and Salmon. They come packaged in threes in a pretty basket.
And if you’re sick and tired of the traditional galantina, try Michele’s Classic Chicken Galantine, French-Style with Chaud Froid-Aspic. You must contact her or request for the Christmas food catalog filled with so many interesting things to eat. She has all our beloved noche buena specialties like ham, but her version is covered in crust. (tel. 0917-8928671, 0918-9246405)
Baked Twinkles Chocolate Queso de Bola—Another delicious discovery made during Kiddo-preneur. Paper-thin crisp tuile-like brownies topped with queso de bola. The bittersweet chocolate and the tanginess of the cheese give this treat an interesting contrast of flavors (tel. 0916-6590088)
Ube Merengue from the Mandarin—Their merengues bring me back to my youth, only they’re more sosyal in shape, color and taste. The ube is fantastic, so is the strawberry! (tel. 8574782)
Queso Chiffon Cake of Chocolate Kiss—This is so good, especially when freshly baked; soft and tasty chiffon cake with queso butter icing. (tel. 9842279, 4127876)
Lourdes dela Fuente’s Lechon—Tired of the traditional lechon? Try Pepita’s take on this old-time favorite. Her renditions: Lechon with Christmas Stuffing, with chestnuts, mushrooms and cashew; French Stuffing, truffle rice stuffing; Pinoy, Binagoongan Rice or Sisig Rice; German stuffing, marble potatoes and garlic bulb; Spicy, stuffed with chilies. (tel. 0917-8660662, 4254605)
Ms. Bliss Chewy Pastillas Candies—The ube pastillas candies are delicious. These are not the ordinary pastillas, but the candy type—kinda chewy, if I remember right. Unfortunately, there was only one piece left by the time I got to it. Nice packaging, assorted flavors. (0917-7247424)
Two-Tone Bars by Chit Gutierrez—with chocolate chips or walnuts. Nice mouth feel and texture. I don’t know why, but these bars are simply addicting. (tel. 0917-8560045)
My book “Kitchen Rescue 3, The Directory-My Lifeline to Eating, Cooking and Living” is now available in all leading bookstores; or call 6474744.
E-mail the author at raspiras@inquirer.com.ph