OVS Holiday Picks: Top 5 Recipes to Try Out for a Christmas Party

Christmas in the Philippines is never complete without sumptuous food. We are lucky to have rich culinary traditions that blend foreign influences with local flavors. 

The only problem with having such an extensive menu of festive meals is selecting the best ones to serve during a Christmas Party.

If you are having trouble preparing a feast for your Christmas Party this year, we are giving you our top picks for must-try recipes.

 

Even as alcohol sales are limited, there’s no stopping you from enjoying this crispy and savory treat that goes well with fresh atchara.

For  this dish, simply boil a pork leg in a large pot with enough water to fully submerge the leg. Let it boil for an hour and add salt, bay leaves and star anise. Once the leg becomes tender, remove it from the pot, dry it out with a paper towel, and deep fry the leg in oil that’s heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Let the skin pop before serving the crispy pata on a large platter. All you need to do now is to enjoy — in moderation, that is.

 

Any Filipino celebration is never complete without this festive mainstay. 

There are many ways you can prepare embutido, but it’s best to start with the basics. First, you need to mix ground pork with bread crumbs, raw eggs, onions, carrots, bell peppers and other vegetables. To enhance the flavor of your embutido, mix in some raisins, salt, and tomato sauce. 

Layout this mixture on a sheet of aluminum foil. At this point, you can add sliced boiled eggs and hotdogs. Next, roll it into a log and fold the edges securely. Let it steam for about an hour before storing it in the refrigerator. 

Embutidos can be reheated and it’s always important to give it a dab of banana ketchup.

 

Popularly known as valenciana to Ilonggos, this fiesta essential is also great for the Holiday Season. 

The secret to preparing the best paella is the quality of saffron rice you are using and the amount of time you soak it in water. It’s best to wait at least three hours before you get started.

After sautéing garlic and onions, cook an assortment of seafood such as shrimps and clams for about three minutes. Make sure to add salt and black pepper. Add some tomato sauce and cook for another minute or until the juices blend with each other. 

Remove the seafood and add the rice to the sauce. Leave it simmering until the rice becomes tender. After that, place the seafood on top of the rice. This makes for truly Spanish-inspired feast for your Noche Buena this year.

 

What’s a Christmas feast without leche flan? This simple dessert is easy to make and can be modified in any way you wish. 

Start by beating egg yolks with condensed milk, fresh milk and vanilla extract. As you do this, you should have heated a leche flan mold over the stove.  

If the mold is hot enough, you can caramelize white sugar in it. Let  the liquified sugar settle on the flat side of the mold for about five minutes before pouring the egg and milk mixture. 

Cover the mold with aluminum foil and let it steam. After about 30 minutes, let the leche flan cool down and refrigerate it just in time for your holiday dinner!

 

Noodles symbolize a more prosperous life as they all say, so why not include this dish for a more  hopeful 2021?

Here’s what you need to do to prepare pancit malabon.  Simply cook a pack of pancit noodles as you normally would then set it aside.  

Next, sauté some garlic and onion and add boiled pork bits. Let the bits cook for three minutes before adding patis and pepper.  Add some shrimp stock and annatto water (basically istiwitis) to the mix and bring it to a boil. Let it cook for about three minutes.  

Place the noodles on a large platter or tray and pour the sauce all over. Finish the dish by topping it with chicharon, hard-boiled eggs, chives, and shrimp. 

 

What’s your menu for your Christmas Party this year? Let us know in the comments below.