ESSENTIAL CHRISTMAS CRACKERS

Festive stocking – Turkey Stock (800g tub – 200 dinners)
Despite the Avian Flu scare, consumers still generated a UK turkey market worth £357m last year, up 1.4 percent since 2003, and it continues to be the top Christmas dinner choice, according to research.

To well and truly put turkey back on the map out of home, mix meat juices with Essential Cuisine’s strong and robust Turkey Stock, expertly created for gravy with all the taste and flavour of a traditional stock, which can also be used for sauces and soups.

Made from turkey blended with vegetables, herbs and spices, this versatile stock has a natural level of fat, looks and tastes superb, and is available in 800g tubs to make 40-50 litres. Which ultimately means a pot sets you up for gravy for over 200 turkey dinners.

Claw in Christmas profit – Lobster Bisque (1.5kg tub - 88 servings)
Growth of the shellfish market is outstripping growth in fish due to more adventurous tastes and greater availability, and has seen a massive 24.8 percent rise in value between 2005 and 2007, from £318m to £397m.

Taking this into consideration, and the fact fish dishes are becoming extremely popular at Christmas, how about a rich, fish bisque at a festive banquet to add a sense of drama to Christmas menus, replacing stereotypical broth-style, winter soups?

Using Essential Cuisine’s Classic Lobster Bisque as a base, chefs can easily create their own delectable soup starter, and it’s a versatile and profitable banqueting dish. Introduced to answer customer demand, the mix is made with the finest ingredients to guarantee the perfect bisque. Simply add to milk and water to make up.

Christmas roast essential - No1 Gravy (60p a litre)
Essential Cuisine believes decent gravy should be made with meat juices, dripping from the fat on the joint and a good stock, and that’s about it. Not laden with salt and flavour enhancers such as MSG which leave it acidic with a lingering aftertaste.

No1 Gravy is all this and more, a consistent gravy that doesn’t lump or thin in the bain marie and is made with the best tasting ingredients for gravy as it should be. Costing around £11.50, it comes in 1.5kg pots, making 20 litres.

The veal thing – Premier Veal Jus (1kg tub)
This Christmas, economy will be key and the versatility of red meat, which as a market continues to develop due to provenance, production values and specific breeds, suits a variety of consumer budgets and tastes from a quality and cut perspective.

Whether you’re dishing up a juicy steak or grilled loin of lamb, veal jus is the business and is classed as the king of sauce bases because of its versatility and non specific meaty taste that works across a multitude of sauces. Sourcing and preparing veal bones, however, is a longwinded and costly process which can also lead to food safety issues.

Essential Cuisine’s Premier Veal Jus gives you all the care and attention without the hard work. With a mirror-like sheen and tacky-on-the-tongue, viscous mouth-feel of a traditionally made jus, it delivers a truly unique kitchen made taste and performance, which is why it is the leading product of its kind in foodservice.

Game for Christmas? - Game Glace (600g jar)
According to Mintel, four in 10 people now regularly enjoy game meat, a low-fat, high-protein alternative to meat traditionally eaten by UK diners. Of the game sold, 47 per cent is venison, while pheasant, partridge and grouse make up 31 per cent. ‘Other’ wild game, including pigeon and hare, account for the remaining 22 per cent.

To take advantage of this trend, why not try game as the perfect festive winter warmer? Either do it the classic way and perhaps roast a saddle of hare in the oven and serve with game chips, or make a delicious grouse or pheasant casserole.

Essential Cuisine’s Game Glace, available in 600g jars at around £17, is rich and meaty, and can, best of all, be used as a stock reduction for casseroles and hearty stews; and a little goes a long, long way. It also adds the most delicious finishing touch to game dishes, whether you use it in a sauce or as a glaze.

10/11/2009|