A feel-good Christmas

Wreath, O’hara Weddings; Damasse blue dessert plate, Haviland; CAFU tealight holder, gold plated, Georg Jensen; Boule de Noël 2019 étoiles Etoile Métal Argenté, Christofle; Seasonal Table Tree Gold in small, medium, large, Georg Jensen

Take it from InterContinental Singapore on how to entertain like a pro with a conscious touch this festive season. Whether it's using sustainable or locally sourced ingredients, there are ways to reduce your carbon footprint even during the holidays.

Mille Feuille of Char-grilled Vegetables with Aubergine in Herb Tomato Sauce

Skip the speciality stores and pop by the local wet markets. You will discover quality vegetables, including the ones needed for this ratatouille recipe.

Serves 10 Prep time 15 minutes Cook time 20 minutes

char-grilled vegetables

• 500g green zucchini • 500g yellow zucchini • 300g aubergine • 100g Provençale paste (available from Amazon.com) • 100ml olive oil • a dash of salt and pepper

» Slice the green and yellow zucchini and aubergine. » Marinade the sliced vegetables with Provençale paste, olive oil, salt and pepper. » Heat up the grill and grill the marinated sliced vegetables. Set aside for assembly.

herb tomato sauce

• 1kg tomatoes, chopped • 100g white onions, chopped • 50g garlic, chopped • 50g tomato paste • 1 bay leaf • 2 sprigs of fresh oregano • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme • 20g fresh basil leaves • 3 tbsp salt • 1 tbsp sugar

» In a blender, blend all ingredients together until a smooth consistency is achieved.

assembly

• 100g parsley, chopped • 100g semi-dried tomatoes

» In a pan, pour the herb tomato sauce. Smooth the surface of the sauce with a spatula. » Arrange the sliced grilled vegetables in alternating patterns (for example, green zucchini, aubergine, yellow zucchini) on top of the sauce. Start from the outer edge to the middle of the pan. » Garnish with chopped parsley and semidried tomatoes.

Slow-cooked Salmon Fillet with Traditional Condiments

This traditional salmon dish (page 64) from Finland is Instagram-worthy and easy to recreate. Opt for a sustainable source; salmon from Salmonfarm, one of the pioneers of Finland sustainable fish farming, was chosen for this recipe.

Serves 10 Prep time 30 minutes Cook time 1 hour

• 1.5kg salmon fillet • 5g sea salt • 5g white pepper powder • 50g fresh dill • 10 hard boiled eggs • 2 white onions, diced • 5 roma tomatoes, diced • 120g chives, diced • 300g sour cream • edible flowers, to garnish • chives, to garnish

» Preheat oven to 85ºC. » Season the salmon fillet with sea salt, white pepper powder and dill. Let it rest for 20 minutes before baking the salmon fillet for an hour. » Separate the egg yolks and egg whites, and dice them. Set aside. » On a silver platter, place the baked Finnish salmon fillet on it and arrange the egg yolks, egg whites, roma tomatoes and chives according to the picture (page 64). » Then garnish it with edible flowers and chives. Serve it with a bowl of sour cream.

Plant-dyed Ribbons, Eirene Artisan; Mosaique au 24 gold desser plate, dinner plate and presentation plate, Hermès; Grand Attelage Dinner Fork, Hermès; Cheese/Jam Dish Silver Plated Albi, Christofle; Blue Graphik Flutes, Christofle; Floral styling, O’hara Weddings; Grand Attelage Dinner Dessert Spoon, Hermès; Grand Attelage Dinner Spoon, Hermès; Grand Attelage Dinner Knife, Hermès; Rectangular Tray with Silver Plated Malmaison, Christofle; Bernadotte small bowl, Georg Jensen; Silver Plated Albi Bread basket, Christofle; Rectangular Butter Dish Silver Plated Albi, Christofle

Floral styling, O’hara Weddings; Mobile Heart Palladium Ice Blue, Georg Jensen; Gift Set Ball Ball Palladium Ice Blue, Georg Jensen; Malmaison Candelabra 2 Lights Silver Plated, Christofle, Seasonal Table Tree Gold in small, medium, large, Georg Jensen; Bleus D’Ailleurs Dessert Plate, Hermès; HTS STAINLESS Knife and Fork, Hermès; CAFU tealight holder, gold plated, Georg Jensen; Lisemore Martini Set, Waterford; INDULGENCE Grand Champagne Cooler,

Georg Jensen

Roasted Leg of Gammon Ham with Honey Pineapple & Maple Glaze

Not all pigs are created equal. Choose certified organic, free-range and rare-breed pork like the black British Berkshire. For a preservative-free dish, opt for nitrate-free ham.

Serves 10 Prep time 15 minutes + 12 hours of brining Cook time 2 hours

brined leg of ham

• 1.5 litres cold water • 1/3 cup of salt • 1/2 cup of sugar • 6kg premium leg of ham

» In a large pot, mix all ingredients together. Then submerge the leg of ham in the pot for 12 hours in the fridge.

honey glaze

• 250g brown sugar • 300ml maple syrup • 150ml honey • 50ml olive oil

» In a sauce pot, melt the brown sugar slowly and stirring constantly until it turns to caramel. Then stir in maple syrup, honey and olive oil until a thick glaze consistency is achieved.

assembly

• 6kg premium leg of ham, brined • honey glaze • 100g woodchips • 100g hay • grilled pineapples

» Place leg ham on a baking tray and lightly glaze the ham. » Preheat oven to 120ºC and roast the ham for 1 hour 30 minutes. Every 30 minutes, baste the ham with honey glaze. » Using aluminium foil, fold it into a pouch to hold woodchips and hay. Light the woodchips and hay on fire and place it in the oven with the cooked ham. Lower the temperature to 65ºC and smoke it for 30 minutes. » Set aside the leg of ham for 30 minutes before serving it with pineapple chutney and grilled pineapples.

Hibiscus Oval Platter, Wedgwood; Lismore Balloon Wine, Waterford; Mixology Argon Blue Tumbler, Waterford; Damasse blue presentation plate, Haviland; Guilloche Or Gold Underplate Porcelain, Christofle; Jardin D’Eden Dinner fork and knife Silver Plated Gold accent, Christofle; FUSION 3 piece Ring, 18kt white gold, Blue Sapphire, Georg Jensen; VIVIANNA – 34 Mm, Quartz, Pavé Set Diamond Dial, Diamond Bezel, Georg Jensen; Savannah Ring 628 Silver Blue Topaz, George Jensen; Mini Wreath, O’hara Weddings; Anemone Cocktail Server 2 parts Silver Plated, Christofle; Jardin D’Eden Salt and Pepper Shakers on Tay Silver Plated, Christofle; Jardin D’Eden Votive Tealight (Clear crystal lampshade) Stainless Steel,

Christofle

Roasted Australian Beef Rump

Beef up your Christmas menu with the hulking Roasted Australian Beef Rump. Executive chef Eric Neo recommends the rump – despite its status as a secondary cut – for its intense flavour and texture.

Serves 10 Prep time 10 minutes + 6 hours of marination Cook time 1 hour 20 minutes

chef’s special blend

• 50g paprika powder • 10g chilli powder • 100g salt • 20g sugar • 10g black pepper, crushed • 20g dried mixed herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary) • 30g chicken powder • 20g garlic powder • 5g nutmeg powder • 10g aniseed powder

» In a mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Set aside.

roasted Australian beef rump

• 5kg Australian beef rump, trimmed • chef’s special blend • 2 onions, chopped • 2 celery, chopped • 2 carrots, chopped • 30g garlic, finely chopped • 30g shallots, blended • 80g Dijon mustard • 100ml olive oil • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme

» On a large tray, marinade the Australian beef rump with chef’s special blend. Pop the tray in the refrigerator and allow it to chill for 6 hours. » On a baking tray, lay onions, celery and carrots before placing the beef rump on top. » Bake it for 60 minutes at 140ºC. Then turn up the temperature to 170ºC and bake for another 20 minutes. » Once done, allow the beef rump to rest for 30 minutes.

Concept Adeline Wong Art direction and styling Alicia Chow Kirwan Photos Ching Video Tu Jie Rui Text Victoria Lim Recipes Eric Neo and Ben Goh of InterContinental Singapore Shot at InterContinental Singapore

Cassis Chestnut Christmas ball

Award-winning pastry chef Ben Goh took inspiration from Singapore’s roasted chestnut (gao lak) and gave them a luxe festive makeover, transforming them into these adorable chocolate ornament balls.

Serves 1 Prep time 1 hour Cook time 30 minutes

chestnut sponge

• 450g chestnut paste • 150g butter • 228g egg • 60g yolk • 81g cake flour • 9g baking powder

» In a pan, heat the chestnut paste until it turns soft. » In a bowl, mix the softened chestnut paste and butter together until it becomes fluffy. » Then slowly add in the egg and yolk. » Mix the egg mixture together with cake flour and baking powder. » Then pop the cake batter inside the oven at 180ºC for 10 minutes.

cassis crémeux

• 45g sugar • 7g pectin • 3g ice cream stabiliser • 300g cassis purée • 45g egg yolk • 75g butter, softened

» Mix sugar, pectin and ice cream stabiliser together. » In a pot, heat purée and egg yolks to 45ºC. » Then incorporate the dry mixture to the heated purée and cook everything to 85ºC. » Then cool the mixture down to 35ºC. In a blender, blend butter and the cooled mixture together.

cassis confit

• 424g cassis purée • 70g glucose • 127g sugar • 8g pectin • 42.5g lemon juice

» In a pot, heat cassis purée to 45ºC. » Add in glucose, sugar and pectin, then boil it for 20 seconds before adding in lemon juice.

assembly

• chocolate dome shell (available from Red Mart)

» Pipe the crémeux into a chocolate dome shell. » Place the sponge on the crémeux. » Pipe the confit onto the sponge until it is filled to the brim » Using a palette knife, even the surface of the confit and chocolate shell, scraping off any excess. » Slightly melt the flat surface of another chocolate dome shell and place it onto the filled shell such that it forms a sphere. » Using a chocolate freeze spray, spray cold air along the seam of the two domes so that the chocolate sets.

Check out epicure on YouTube for a behindthe-scenes look at what went on during this month’s cover shoot.