6 recipes to whip up a homemade festive feast for less

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SINGAPORE – While many people look forward to celebrating the year-end festivities with a feast, it can be a costly affair with inflation and eye-watering festive surcharges.

 

If you are ordering from a hotel or restaurant, your wallet will take a walloping. You can get a 2kg boneless roast ham from $65 at the supermarket, but be prepared to fork out $188 for a similar-sized one from a five-star hotel, not including delivery charges.

 

Turkeys, which do not come cheap, are in shortage this year because of avian flu and rising costs of animal feed. Norbest Whole Turkey (Brined) ($83.60) is out of stock on FairPrice’s website. At Cold Storage, it is difficult to find a frozen turkey of around 4kg, a size that can typically feed eight to 10 people, with sides. The few that are available weigh around 9kg and can cost around $95.

 

Getting a pre-roasted supermarket turkey is easier than roasting your own. But these are pricey too – upwards of $75 for a bird of about 4kg at Cold Storage. For small families, it is perhaps more practical and cheaper to have roast chicken instead. You are likely to end up with less wastage too.

 

Splurge instead on a ham, which you can roast easily and make your centrepiece, complete with a pineapple sauce.

 

Here are six recipes to help you rustle up a luxe festive meal without burning a hole in your pocket.

 

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Pumpkin Crab Meat Soup

 

Start the meal with an appetising pumpkin crab meat soup. The secret to a tasty soup lies in the stock. You can boil your own chicken and vegetable broth, but there is no shame in shortcuts, especially when you have many other dishes to whip up. 

 

When I am in a hurry, I use Pacific Organic Broth – Free Range Chicken (Low Sodium), which costs $7.65 at FairPrice. Look for the low-sodium version. It is a cheaper and time-saving alternative to buying chicken carcasses and vegetables and boiling them for two hours on the stove. 

 

To blend the soup, a hand-held blender is best, though a food processor or regular blender does the job as well. If the devices are not heat-proof, wait for the pumpkin soup to cool before blending.

 

To ease your cooking load on the day itself, prepare the soup the night before. As it has no dairy content, the soup lasts well if it is refrigerated properly. Reheat the soup and do a quick stir-fry of the crab just before you serve.

 

Serve the crab meat as a garnish instead of stirring it into the soup. Spruce it up with a sprig of coriander or parsley.

 

Ingredients

 

• 4 slices of back bacon (100g), sliced
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped (110g)
• 2 stalks of leek, sliced (200g)
• 2 Tbs vermouth
• 500g pumpkin, cubed
• 1 carton of low-sodium chicken broth (946ml)
• 4 bay leaves
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 150g crab meat
• Dash of ground white pepper
• Pinch of Herbs de Provence
• ¼ tsp coarsely ground black pepper

 

Method

 

1. In a frying pan, fry the bacon over medium heat and let the excess liquid evaporate.

 

2. Add 1 Tbs of olive oil, then the onion and leek.

 

3. Once the mixture sizzles, add the vermouth to deglaze.

 

4. Add the pumpkin, chicken broth and bay leaves.

 

5. Cook for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft and mushy.

 

6. Remove the bay leaves and set aside.

 

7. Allow the pumpkin mixture to cool.

 

8. Use a hand-held blender to puree the mixture until smooth.

 

9. Place the bay leaves back into the pumpkin soup.

 

10. Bring to a simmer and season with salt.

 

11. Reheat when ready to serve.

 

12. In a clean frying pan, heat 1 Tbs of olive oil.

 

13. Add the chopped garlic and fry for one minute.

 

14. Add the crab meat and fry for one minute.

 

15. Add the white pepper and Herbs de Provence.

 

16. Turn off the heat.

 

17. Serve each bowl of pumpkin soup with a spoonful of crab meat and a sprinkle of black pepper.

 

Serves six

 

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Roast Ham With Citrus Glaze

 

Every year, near the year-end festive season, I look out for a Virginia semi bone-in ham at Cold Storage. This year, I paid $40 for a 2kg one. If you cannot get a semi bone-in ham, you can make do with a whole boneless ham. 

 

The ham is pre-cooked, but you can still bake it, score it, stud it with cloves and glaze it so that it looks beautiful enough for a centrepiece. 

 

Choose a marmalade with orange peel for the glaze.

 

A ham of around 2kg is great for a small party. If there are leftovers, use them for sandwiches or fried rice. Save the bone for cooking a stew.

 

Ingredients

 

• 2kg pre-cooked ham
• 500ml Coca-Cola
• 250ml water
• 15 to 20 cloves

 

For citrus glaze:

 

• 4 Tbs orange marmalade
• 2 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 4 Tbs honey
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Pinch of ground ginger
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbs olive oil

 

Method

 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 deg C. 

 

2. Place the ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan and add the cola and water. Cover tightly with foil. Allow about 10 minutes of baking time for 500g of ham. For a 2kg ham, bake for 40 minutes.

 

3. Allow the ham to cool before removing and trimming off the rind. 

 

4. Score the ham diagonally to get a diamond pattern, then stud each diamond with a clove.

 

5. In a bowl, mix the orange marmalade, Dijon mustard, honey, ground nutmeg, ground ginger and ground cinnamon.

 

6. Place the ham on a roasting rack and brush on olive oil, followed by the glaze.

 

7. Bake the ham at 200 deg C for 30 minutes.

 

8. Allow the ham to rest for 30 minutes before carving. Serve with pineapple sauce.

 

Serves six

 

Pineapple sauce

 

If you are willing to go the whole hog for your ham, make a pineapple sauce to go with it.

 

Ingredients

 

• 1 can of pineapple cubes in syrup (565g), reserve half of the canned syrup
• 60ml orange juice
• 50ml apple cider vinegar
• 100ml water
• 2 Tbs Demerara sugar
• 1½ Tbs Worcestershire sauce
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• Pinch of ground ginger
• 2 Tbs cornflour
• 50ml water

 

Method

 

1. Set aside one-third of the pineapple cubes.

 

2. Blend the remaining pineapple cubes with the reserved canned syrup.

 

3. In a saucepan, add the blended pineapple, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, water and sugar.

 

4. Bring to a simmer.

 

5. Add the Worcestershire sauce, salt, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg and ground ginger and stir. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

 

6. Mix the cornflour with 50ml of water. 

 

7. Stir the cornflour mixture into the pineapple sauce to thicken it.

 

8. Bring the sauce to a simmering boil.

 

Serves six

 

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Roast chicken

 

Roasting a whole chicken for a dinner party is a more practical option than turkey. You are more likely to finish it and not have to worry about leftovers as compared with a turkey, which weighs at least 4kg. Cooking time for the chicken is much shorter, which means less energy consumption for both you and your oven.

 

A 1.1kg chicken serves four. Cook two if you have more guests.

 

The secret to achieving that attractive reddish-brown hue on the chicken skin is maltose. All you need is a teaspoon of it to lightly glaze the chicken.

 

You may use honey as a substitute, but the results will be different as honey imbues a golden yellow hue instead.

 

The cooked chicken should be so tender that you can pull it apart easily.

 

Ingredients

 

• 1.1kg whole chicken
• ¼ tsp salt (for seasoning cavity of the chicken)
• 1 lemon (150g), halved
• 2 Tbs light soya sauce
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbs Shaoxing wine
• 2 drops of Chinese rose wine (optional)
• 1 Tbs sesame oil
• 1 tsp maltose

 

For the marinade:

 

• 1 tsp five-spice powder
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 Tbs light soya sauce
• 2 Tbs sesame oil
• 4 Tbs Shaoxing wine
• You will need 8cm of cooking twine to tie the chicken, a roasting pan and wire rack.

 

Method

 

1. In a bowl, place the five-spice powder, ground white pepper, salt, light soya sauce, sesame oil and Shaoxing wine and mix well. Set aside.

 

2. Remove the giblets, neck, head and feet of the chicken. Rinse well and pat dry with paper towels.

 

3. Place the chicken in a deep dish. Take ¼ tsp of salt and rub it all over the cavity of the chicken.

 

4. Pour the marinade over the chicken and rub it all over, including its cavity.

 

5. Place the chicken in a resealable bag. Seal the bag and place it, breast side down, on a plate. Refrigerate overnight.

 

6. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator an hour before roasting. Place it, breast side up, on the kitchen counter to let it reach room temperature.

 

7. Take half a lemon and place it in the chicken’s cavity.

 

8. With the chicken breast side up, use cooking twine to tie its legs together.

 

9. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the wire rack in the roasting pan.

 

10. Pour any remaining marinade over the chicken. Place the other half of the lemon beside the chicken.

 

11. Pre-heat the oven to 200 deg C for 15 minutes.

 

12. Place the roasting pan with the chicken in the oven. Lower the heat to 170 deg C and roast for 20 minutes.

 

13. Baste with 1 Tbs of light soya sauce and roast for another 20 minutes.

 

14. Baste with another 1 Tbs of light soya sauce and 1 Tbs of olive oil. Roast for another 15 minutes.

 

15. Baste with Shaoxing wine, Chinese rose wine and sesame oil, and roast for another 15 minutes.

 

16. Glaze the chicken with maltose and roast for another 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 150 deg C and roast it for another 10 minutes.

 

17. Turn off the heat and leave the oven door open. Allow the chicken to rest for 20 minutes before serving.

 

18. Pour the roast drippings into a small bowl to serve on the side.

 

Serves four

 

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Spicy lamb cutlets

 

Lamb cutlets are a breeze to cook. If you are short on time, marinate the lamb cutlets for just 30 minutes, followed by a simple pan-fry.

 

Cannot get mace for this tandoori-inspired marinade? Substitute it with nutmeg, allspice or ginger. If all of these are unavailable, use more garam masala instead.

 

The refreshing taste of mint and coriander in the dip helps to balance the richness of the lamb. I use pine nuts in the dip, but if you cannot get them, make do with baked cashews.

 

Ingredients

 

• 1kg lamb cutlets (about eight pieces)
• 2 tsp salt
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• ⅓ tsp ground turmeric
• 40g garlic, pounded into a paste
• 2 Tbs garam masala
• Dash of ground black pepper
• ⅓ tsp mace
• 100g plain yogurt
• 60ml cooking oil

 

For mint and coriander sauce:

 

• 1 garlic clove
• 50g pine nuts
• 50g mint leaves
• 50g coriander leaves
• 80g plain yogurt
• Pinch of garam masala
• ½ tsp salt

 

Method

 

1. To prepare the sauce, blend the garlic clove, pine nuts, mint, coriander, yogurt, garam masala and salt. Keep refrigerated for at least an hour before serving.

 

2. Place the lamb cutlets in a deep dish. Add the salt, lemon juice, chilli powder, ground turmeric, garlic paste, garam masala, black pepper, mace and yogurt. Mix well. Cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge to marinate for two hours.

 

3. Remove the lamb cutlets from the fridge 30 minutes before you want to cook them. Leave on the kitchen counter to come to room temperature.

 

4. Heat a frying pan with the oil. Over high heat, place lamb cutlets in a layer on the pan. Cook for two minutes, then turn over and cook for another two minutes. Remove from heat and let the meat rest for five minutes.

 

5. Heat the pan again and, over high heat, quickly pan-fry the lamb cutlets for 20 seconds on each side.

 

6. Serve immediately with the mint and coriander sauce on the side.

 

Serves three to four

 

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Zesty whole baked fish

 

For a seafood option, try this recipe of baked fish with chimichurri, a piquant sauce or marinade traditionally used in Argentinian cooking. I use a whole angkoli (goldband snapper), but sea bass or coral trout are suitable options too.

 

Butterfly the fish so it cooks quicker. If you are buying it from a fishmonger, you can ask for the fish to be butterflied with the backbone removed.

 

Usually red or white wine vinegar is used to make chimichurri, but I use lemon juice for a brighter taste. It is more practical too, as you do not have to buy an entire bottle of red wine vinegar.

 

Use less lemon juice if you prefer it less tangy.

 

If you are not used to the “raw” taste of chimichurri, pop the fish back in the oven for two minutes after you pour on the remaining sauce at the end of the recipe.

 

Ingredients

 

• 1 whole snapper (800g), cleaned
• 1 tsp salt
• 40g garlic cloves
• 30g shallots
• 40g flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 30g fresh coriander, chopped
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried chilli flakes
• Juice of one lemon
• 50ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, sliced into 1.5cm-thick slices

 

Method

 

1. Clean and butterfly the fish.

 

2. Take ½ tsp of salt and rub it all over the fish. Set the fish aside while you prepare the sauce.

 

3. Place the garlic cloves and shallots in a blender. Pulse until the ingredients become a paste.

 

4. Add the flat leaf parsley, fresh coriander, dried oregano, chilli flakes and lemon juice. Pulse until parsley and coriander are finely chopped.

 

5. With the blender running at slow speed, add the extra virgin olive oil gradually.

 

6. Add the remaining salt and pulse for five seconds. Remove the sauce from the blender.

 

7. Pre-heat the oven to 200 deg C.

 

8. Line a tray with baking paper.

 

9. Place the fish on the lined tray. Take 1 Tbs of sauce and coat the fish.

 

10. Stuff the fish with the lemon slices.

 

11. Add 2 Tbs of sauce on top of the fish.

 

12. Place the fish in the oven on the middle rack to bake at 180 deg C for 25 minutes.

 

13. Drizzle on the remaining sauce before serving.

 

Serves three to four

 

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Boozy chocolate mousse trifle

 

Finish your festive meal with a boozy chocolate mousse. Use the Betty Crocker Super Moist Cake Mix Devil’s Food to make the chocolate cake. Add 2 Tbs of Cointreau to the cake mix for extra flavour.

 

Whipped cream gives the mousse a smoother texture.

 

Add a dash of colour with fresh raspberries, blackberries, mint and store-bought whipped cream, and use a vegetable peeler to shave chocolate as a topping. It is best to consume the chocolate mousse the next day.

 

Ingredients

 

• 300g dark couverture chocolate
• 40g unsalted butter
• 6 Tbs (90ml) Cointreau
• 6 Tbs (90ml) rum
• 5 egg yolks (from 65g eggs)
• 60g sugar
• ⅓ tsp salt
• 6 egg whites
• 150ml whipping cream
• 180g devil’s food chocolate cake, cut into 6cm by 6cm by 1.5cm pieces
• 10 glass jars (7 ounces or 207ml each)

 

Method

 

1. Heat a saucepan with water 3cm deep. Keep the heat on low, as the water should just be simmering. Over the saucepan, place a metal bowl with the chocolate and butter. Stir to make sure the chocolate is melted evenly. Once the chocolate is melted, turn off the heat and set it aside to cool to room temperature.

 

2. Add 1 Tbs each of Cointreau and rum to the chocolate mixture and stir. Set aside.

 

3. Place egg yolks in a dry mixing bowl and beat for 30 seconds. Add sugar. Continue beating until the mixture is pale yellow.

 

4. Add the chocolate mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Add the salt and stir through. Set aside.

 

5. Place egg whites in a dry mixing bowl. Whisk into soft peaks.

 

6. Pour the whipping cream into a dry mixing bowl. Whisk at low speed for a minute, then increase the speed, until soft peaks form.

 

7. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

 

8. Fold the cream into the chocolate mixture.

 

9. Place remaining Cointreau and rum in a deep dish.

 

10. To assemble each trifle, dip a piece of chocolate cake in the alcohol mixture and place it at the base of a glass jar.

 

11. Spoon 1½ Tbs of the chocolate mousse into the jar. Place another piece of alcohol-dipped chocolate cake into the jar and cover with more chocolate mousse, leaving an allowance of 1.5cm so that the mousse does not touch the jar cover.

 

12. Seal the jar and refrigerate overnight. Do the same for the other jars.

 

Serves 10

 

 

Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reproduced with permission.

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