Part 2: Christmas dishes from around the world

IT’S the most wonderful time of the year – Christmas – a time for fun, family and food. Maybe this year, you’d like to let go of the traditional menu and shift things around which is why chefs from Capsicum Culinary Studio, now working overseas, decided to share their favourite recipes.

Also read: Part 1: Christmas dishes from around the world

Pan de Jamon

Ingredients

For the bread:

¼ cup warm water
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
¾ cup warm milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the filling:

350g ham, sliced
½ cup raisins
150g pimento-stuffed green olives, whole, drained and patted dry
1 egg white beaten with 1 tbsp water

Method

To make the dough: In a medium bowl, mix the warm water and 1 tbsp sugar until the sugar dissolves. Sprinkle the yeast on top and set aside for 5–10 minutes until the mixture bubbles. Place 3 cups of flour in a large bowl, along with the remaining 3 tbsp sugar and salt. Mix to combine.

Stir the yeast mixture and add it to the flour. Add the milk, beaten eggs and butter and mix until combined. Continue adding the remaining cup of flour until a soft dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until soft and smooth, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the counter or your hands.

Place the dough in a clean, greased bowl, cover with a clean tea towel, and let it rest in a warm, dry place until doubled in size (1–2 hours). Once the dough has risen, lightly dust the counter with flour and roll the dough out into a 25cm x 38cm rectangle, about 1.3cm thick. Cover with the ham slices, arranging them almost to the edges, then sprinkle the raisins and olives on top.

Once the fillings have been layered over the dough, tightly roll the dough up from the long edge. Tuck the edges under the roll and place it, seam-side down on a greased baking sheet. Brush the loaf with an egg wash of 1 egg white beaten with 1 tbsp water. Let the dough rise, uncovered, in a warm, dry spot until very puff (45–60 minutes). Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 185°C.

Once ready, bake the bread for 25–30 minutes until it starts to turn golden brown. Then loosely create a tent over the bread with aluminium foil, and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for 10–15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing and serving.

Buccellato

Ingredients

Pre-dough

1 packet dry yeast
260g flour
260ml milk, warmed

Dough:

100g raisins
2 tbsp rum
340g flour
80g icing sugar
80g butter, at room temperature
6 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 lemons
1 pinch salt

Filling:

120g sugar
140g butter
300g walnuts, ground
3–4 tbsp milk
1 tbsp honey

Icing:

1 egg white
icing sugar

Method:

Prepare the pre-dough the day before. In a food processor, mix the dry yeast, flour and warm milk, then knead the dough on the work surface for a few minutes by hand and roll into a ball. Place in a bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise at room temperature for half an hour. Place in the fridge overnight.

The next day, take the pre-dough out of the fridge and preheat the oven to 180°C. Soak the raisins in the rum. Mix the butter, egg yolk, vanilla extract, the peel of the lemons and the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt) in a food processor. Divide the pre-dough into small pieces and add these gradually. Stir the dough until an even mass is formed and it detaches from the sides of the bowl. Finally, mix in the soaked raisins.

Now place the dough on the work surface and knead by hand for a few minutes, form it into a ball and leave it to rest. Meanwhile, beat the sugar, honey, butter and ground walnuts until creamy. Divide the dough into three parts. Roll out each ball thinly on baking paper dusted with flour.

Spread a third of the filling on each part and then roll them up like a roulade. Make vertical cuts at regular intervals in the rolled dough with a sharp knife. Grease a cake tin with butter and dust with flour. Carefully plait the rolls and place in the baking tin. Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for one hour, then brush with egg white and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool, and sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.

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