3 Holiday Recipes From Chef Walter Staib
Chef Walter Staib presents three different menus for a tasty holiday dinner:
Pineapple Rum Ginger Glaze
Recipe by Chef Walter Staib
This glaze is perfect for ham, but it also works well for pork chops or chicken. The island spices are used often in holiday recipes in the United States, but have been imported from the Caribbean since the 18th century.
Serves 4 to 6 people
1 Dietz & Waston© All Natural ham
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons honey
1 can crushed pineapple, or 2 cups fresh pineapple, finely chopped
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
pinch of allspice or mace
pinch cloves
1 cup spiced El Dorado rum
1 ½ cornstarch
3 tablespoons cold water
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Begin heating the all natural ham according to package directions.
Heat butter over low heat in a skillet. Add sugar and let cook until bubbling, being careful not to scorch. Add pineapple and spices and lower flame. Let simmer for a few minutes until combined. Pour rum into a measuring cup, do not pour it from the bottle. Remove pan from heat. Add rum into pineapple mixture and bring to a simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together cold water and cornstarch. Stirring constantly, add the cornstarch mixture into the sauce and bring back to a simmer, allowing it to thicken.
Remove the ham from the oven and spoon the glaze on the ham. Bake for 30 minutes more, spooning cooking sauces on top of ham every 10 minutes.
Chef's Note: If you do not have all the spices in the recipe, feel free to substitute with 2 teaspoons apple pie seasoning mix.
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Brussels Sprouts Braised with Bacon & Fennel
From Black Forest Cuisine ©2006 by Walter Staib
Running Press Book Publishers, Philadelphia & London
Serves 6
1 1/2 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts, tough outer leaves removed and stem end trimmed
2 slices lean bacon, finely chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle or with the bottom of a heavy pan
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. Using a paring knife, cut a small 1/8-inch-deep cross in the stem end of each Brussels sprout. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat, add the Brussels sprouts, and cook until just tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Drain the Brussels sprouts in a colander, and set aside in a bowl of cold water to quickly stop the cooking, about 5 minutes. Drain again and set aside momentarily.
3. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the bacon, and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon, and set aside to drain on paper towels.
4. Remove most of the bacon fat from the pan, wiping out the pan with paper towels if you wish, add the oil, and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, and sauté until softened and very lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, fennel seeds, Brussels sprouts, and bacon and simmer, stirring frequently, until the liquid is reduced, about 3 minutes.
5. To serve, season with salt and pepper and pour onto a large serving platter.
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Ale braised ham
A Recipe by Chef Walter Staib
1 Dietz & Watson all natural ham
3 tablespoons clarified butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup ale or a stout, such as Guinness
Juice of 1 lemon, which is about 2 tablespoons lemon juice
freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 300.
Place all glaze ingredients in a bowl and mix together.
Place ham in a roasting pan and spread the glaze over it. Put pan in oven.
Baste the ham with a baster every few minutes while baking, the more often, the better the ham will turn out.
Bake until the internal temperature of the ham is 155 degrees.
