Our year in Food Transportation, as a Christmas Menu🎄
Have you ever sat down to a meal and wondered… How did this food get to my plate?
It's been a question in the Chill-Chain office this week and so the team have been looking back at the year that was. It has caused us to wonder just how much of our Christmas dinners this year could we possibly be responsible for?
It turns out we could have a whole feast with the food that we have transported this year!
So to share this with you, we have put together a Chill-Chain Christmas menu, complete with some of our team's favourite recipes, from home that get them in the holiday spirit.
Quick Links:
Chilli and Lime Prawns - Indi, Marketing Coordinator, Australia.
Croquettes - Manuel, Business Operations, Spain.
Gratin Dauphinois - Oscar, Sales Representative, a favourite from France.
Tiramisu - Eleonora, Operations Manager, Italy.
Mascarpone, Lemon Cheesecake - Kathryn, Client Success Manager, England.
All the ingredients highlighted in pink, we have transported this year!
Indi, Marketing Coordinator, Australia.
Seves: 4 | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 10 min
You will need:
24 raw prawns.
1 tsp sesame oil or olive oil.
1 tsp garlic chopped.
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce.
1 tbsp lime juice.
1 tbsp soy sauce.
1/4 cup parsley or coriander chopped.
Optional: Additional sweet chilli sauce, lime and parsley or coriander for serving.
Instructions:
In a shallow dish, combine the oil, garlic, sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, lime juice and parsley or coriander.
Add the prawns and stir to coat with the marinade, set aside in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight for best flavour.
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add prawns in a single layer (cook in batches if needed), until prawns are pink and opaque, about 2-3 minutes on each side.
Remove from heat to serve. Optional: serve with sweet chilli sauce, lime and garnish with parsley or coriander.
Manuel, Business Operations , Spain.
Serving: 24 individual croquettes | Prep: 30 min | Cook: 15 min
You will need:
4 tbsp unsalted butter (60 g).
1/4 cup olive oil (60 ml).
1 scant cup flour (just under one cup — 120 g).
1 medium onion - very finely diced.
1 L whole milk at room temperature.
1 pinch nutmeg.
200g jamón serrano ham diced into small pieces (225 g).
Flour for breading.
2 beaten eggs.
Bread crumbs for breading.
Instructions:
Melt the butter and warm the oil in a heavy pan over medium high heat.
Add the diced onion and sauté for a few minutes, until it just starts to colour.
Add a pinch of salt and the nutmeg. Don't add too much salt as the Serrano ham is already salty.
Add the diced ham and sauté for 30 seconds more.
Add the flour and stir continuously, until the flour turns a light brown colour. You must not stop stirring or the flour will burn!
When the flour changes colour, add the milk little by little, always stirring until you incorporate the entire amount. It should take about 15-20 minutes to add it all.
Turn off the heat and let the dough cool to room temperature.
Butter the sides of a large bowl and place the croquette dough inside, covered directly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate a minimum of 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
To make the ham croquettes, shape them into little logs (or use a pastry sleeve if you have one.)
Next, while heating a pan full of olive oil on the stove, pass the croquettes through the three step breading process. First, cover them in flour, then in egg, and, finally, in the breadcrumbs.
Fry the ham croquettes in the hot oil for about five minutes (making sure to turn halfway so they brown evenly) and then let them cool for a few minutes before enjoying!
Oscar, Sales Representative, a favourite from France.
Serves: 8 | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 45 min
You will need:
500ml double cream.
500ml milk.
3 garlic cloves.
8 large King Edward or Maris Piper potatoes.
100g grated gruyère cheese (optional).
1 tablespoon fresh chives chopped (optional).
Instructions:
Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
Tip 500ml double cream, 500ml milk and 3 garlic cloves into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Slice 8 large potatoes very finely, about 3-4mm, add them to the cream and simmer for 3 mins until just cooked.
Gently stir to separate the potato and stop it sinking and catching on the bottom of the pan.
Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and place in a wide shallow ovenproof dish so that they are about 5cm in depth.
Pour over the garlic infused cream (discarding the garlic) – just enough to seep through the layers and leave a little moisture on the surface.
Scatter over 100g grated gruyère cheese, if using, then bake for 30 mins until the potatoes are soft and browned – increase the heat for 5 mins if not brown enough.
Scatter the chopped chives if using, and serve.
Eleonora, Operations Manager, Italy.
Serves: 8 | Prep: 25 min
You will need:
2 cups mascarpone (500g).
24 (roughly) Savoiardi biscuits (lady fingers).
1 cup strong brewed coffee (230ml).
3 tablespoons dark chocolate grated.
4 egg yolks at room temperature.
3 egg whites at room temperature.
6 tablespoons sugar.
4 tablespoons coffee liqueur (optional).
1 tablespoon cocoa powder.
Instructions:
Carefully separate the egg yolks and whites into two separate bowls. Add 3 tablespoons of sugar to the egg yolks and whisk them with an electric whisk until pale and thick.
Clean your beaters thoroughly. This is very important as egg whites will not whip if any egg yolk is added.
Using a clean electric whisk start to whisk the egg whites. When they become frothy, add 3 tablespoons of sugar and whisk until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. You should be able to turn the bowl upside down and they remain stiff (be careful not to overwhip them).
Add the mascarpone to the egg yolk mixture and mix together until smooth and creamy.
Next, add one third of the whisked egg whites to the mascarpone and egg yolk mixture and gently fold it in as you would with a cake batter. Continue with the remaining whites a third at a time until it's completed incorporated.
Mix the espresso and 4 tablespoon coffee liqueur in a shallow bowl and dip in the lady fingers (savoiardi biscuits). You want to dip them into the liquid quickly (around 2-3 seconds) whilst turning to soak each side.
Lay the ladyfingers in a glass or ceramic dish until you have one even layer. You can brake some biscuits to fit your dish.
Next, add half of the mascarpone mixture over the biscuits and spread out in an even layer, top with some grated dark chocolate.
Continue with another layer of ladyfingers and mascarpone as directed above. Finally, dust with cocoa powder and chill in the fridge for roughly 6-8 hours.
Kathryn, Client Success Manager, England.
Serves: 8-10 | Prep: 20min | Chill: 4 hours minimum
You will need:
100g ginger biscuits, crushed.
50g butter, melted.
500g mascarpone.
325g lemon curd.
Juice of 1 small lemon.
1 cup fresh berries.
Icing sugar, optional for dusting.
Instructions:
Grease and line the base of 20cm round loose-bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. Mix the biscuits with the butter in a bowl, then press into the base of the tin.
Put the mascarpone, lemon curd, and lemon juice in a bowl and beat until smooth.
Spoon on to the biscuit base and level the top.
Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours to firm up.
To serve, remove the cheesecake from the tin, peel off the baking parchment, and arrange on a platter. Decorate with the fruit and dust with icing sugar (optional).
(P.s. you could also buy a pre-made cheesecake, we heard they are pretty good and we have also transported them this year, so it still counts!)
The Chill-Chain Christmas menu could go on, we could have brussels sprouts, peas and corn or finish off the meal with waffles and cream or a nice coffee!
It’s been a big year in food logistics and it has really surprised us just how many ingredients, finished products and so many things in between we have helped move!
If you need help transporting anything on our Christmas ingredient list or if you have something new to add, please reach out, our team will be more than happy to assist.
