CREED GET FESTIVE WITH SOLUTIONS FOR CHRISTMAS

Creed Foodservice, the leading regional delivered wholesaler has launched its Christmas 2015 range with new products plus a selection of easy to use and profitable recipe and finishing ideas to enable chefs to add their own touch to their Christmas menus.

Developed in partnership with Creed’s Executive Development Chef, Rob Owen, this year’s Creed Christmas range and concepts give caterers a range of solutions to match their skills, budgets, preparation time and customer preferences, as Rob explains:

“From my experience in the trade, I know that is challenging to develop Christmas menu ideas each year that are profitable and can be finished consistently by the team. I would usually seek a number of core products from Creed Foodservice, and finish them in-house before serving so that I could make the dish my own. This is the approach I have taken with the new Christmas range and I hope other chefs will be inspired by some of the simple but effective concepts we have developed.”

Get the Party Started – starter and party solutions
For starters and festive parties, Creed offers all kinds of canapés to suit requirements, from simple thaw and serve through to ready to use canapé cups. Spicy Canapé Cups for example can be filled with staple combinations such as charcuterie and chutney or red onion and brie, but for a savoury canapé with a difference, try smoked duck with fig chutney or houmous and toasted pumpkin seed.

Rob Owen’s Chorizo tartlet is made by adding sliced chorizo to a savoury tartlet case with parsley and chives, then adding parmesan and quiche mix and baking. It makes a delicious starter is versatile enough to be served all year round as a light lunch option for example.

The Main Event – marvellous meats to savour
With quality meat high on the Christmas menu and with consumers keen to try different cuts, new this year is a versatile Mise en Place premium-branded Turkey Paupiette, prepared in Creed’s on-site butchery. Each Paupiette features farm assured turkey breast wrapped round a chestnut and cranberry stuffing and wrapped in bacon, giving the caterer an easy to serve turkey and trimmings. The Paupiette looks great sliced on the festive lunch plate, or cut on the diagonal for higher end presentation.
Mise en Place individual fillet steaks make a simple to prepare Beef Wellington which is a classy alternative to traditional turkey.

The Sweetest Touch – puddings to love
There’s a comprehensive range of ready to thaw and use desserts, individual cakes and puddings. New for this year are on-trend desserts and flavours including a Country Range Salted Caramel Truffle Cheesecake that’s pre-cut for convenience and portion control plus an individual baked cranberry and orange cheesecake from Eatons, that is full of festive flavour.

Chef Rob Owen has also given caterers a number of options for creating desserts with the wow factor, using bought in products as a starting point, such as the Trio of Desserts featuring Macphie posset solutions (see recipe below). With sharing plates still popular on the desserts menu, this added value Christmas meal finisher is easy to prepare, visually impactful and can command a premium price.

Creed’s Trio of Desserts
Combine Macphie Pots (lemon 285850 and red berry 285860), individual New York Baked Cheesecake (853050) and Bite Size Christmas Pudding (783270) to create this stunning mini dessert trio.
To create the lemon and red berry posset, boil Macphie pot contents in a pan. Pour a little into a shot glass and place in the fridge for an hour to set. Boil the red berry pot contents and fill the remainder of the shot glass. Return to the fridge to set.

Position the posset shot glass on a long plate and add a garnish of your choice to decorate – red currants, raspberries or candied peel. Decorate the centre of the plate with raspberry coulis and position the individual cheesecake on top.

Finally pipe some brandy cream onto the final third of the plate and add the individual Christmas pudding.