Serrano Ham – Good to the Last Bite!

My holiday Jamon Serrano has been a treat for so many people for almost three months. I’ve made dozens of gourmet dishes with it and served it to lots of guests. Many bags were filled with slices of Serrano and shared with friends and family members.

David finished slicing off the last piece of Serrano this past week and I discarded the bone, probably prematurely. I could have sawed it into several lengths and boiled it for making broth, soup, stews and many other tasty dishes. If you have ever used a leftover bone from your Jamon Serrano, please let me know how you did it.

Almost any recipe you make with ham can be made with Jamon Serrano, the premier ham from Spain. My Serrano came from Felipe Motta Wine Store in Panama City, Panama and it sat on the top of my buffet for almost 2 months, no refrigeration is needed. It was the center of attention for many gatherings, as most guests had never seen or used Serrano freshly cut from the bone.

Above, you see a photo of David’s creative “Serrano Omelet with Smokey Cheese”. Then, my “Chicken Embeded with Jamon Serrano” served with garlic mashed potatoes. I embeded Serrano and manchego cheese in wafer-thin chicken breast, wrapped it torpedo-style in GladWrap, steamed it and served it with plum sauce. This was one of my favorite dishes using Serrano.

Reflecting on the different dishes I made with this ham, “Celery Seed Potato Salad with Jamon Serrano” was my very favorite. A friend gave me this old Swedish recipe 30 years ago. It was published in the Gulfport Gourmet Cookbook in Gulfport, Florida.

Now, with a little tweaking, here it is again using Spain’s Jamon Serrano to make it my very best potato salad ever.

Celery Seed Potato Salad with Jamon Serrano

4 large potatoes, quartered
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2cup Jamon Serrano, thinly slice and julienne
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, hard boiled and quartered

Boil the potatoes, no need to peel them until soft. When soft, drain, cool slightly, scrape off the skins, if you like, and dice them into a large bowl. In a small mixing bowl, combine celery seed, mayonnaise, sugar, salt and Serrano. Pour over the potatoes, toss and place in shallow, fancy serving dish. Arrange eggs on top, garnish and serve.

Other articles about this particular ham are on my blog, you can see how much I enjoyed it throughout the holidays and beyond. We’re expecting a new Felipe Motta Wine Store to open soon in David and I’m sure they will stock these Spanish hams in their deli section. They’ll be hanging from the rafters as they do in the “Museum of Ham” in Madrid. If you’re looking for a special treat to serve at this year’s parties, you might consider getting a Jamon Serrano for yourself. You would love it and so would your guests!
Celebrate!
Cora

For Style, Try David’s New Stylo

After hearing so much about the new Cuidad de David Hotel and Stylo Resto-Bar, located only 45 minutes south of Boquete, Panama, I just had to try it.   The buzz is that it’s the only “5-star” hotel and restaurant in Chiriqui Province, although I haven’t been able to document that claim. 

The best way I know to find the actual quality of food and service is to experience it first-hand. So one hot day last week we drove into the parking garage of the handsome Cuidad de David Hotel, took the silent elevator to the street level and entered the most unusual and stylish hotel lobby I have experienced since I left Madrid last year.

The hotel lobby and sleek bar are modern and brightly colored to match the buildings exterior.

As we neared the restaurant door, it was graciously opened for us and a shiny, sleek, comfortably arranged dining room was revealed. It was tastefully decorated in deep brown and cream tones.

The elegant tables were dressed in white linens and set with sparkling glassware and solid-white china service plates. This is my kind of restaurant!

Our courteous server Elvin, explained the luncheon options and showed us the fresh and colorful salad bar available. Lunch included the salad bar and the hot meal of the day was either corvina with garlic rosemary sauce or roasted chicken breast. The choices vary depending on what the chef prepares each day. A drink and dessert were included in the lunch special as well. Menu items were also available, in case we wanted to order ala carte.

The choice was easy. I ordered the full lunch with corvina and it was delicious! The photo above is the salad I designed and the next photo is of the full lunch I enjoyed so much. Notice the fresh crumbled bacon and local country cheese. The sweet platanos were slowly cooked in natural, raw sugar, probably rare in most 5-star restaurants.

After finishing my “designer” salad, home-made minestrone soup, full hot lunch, and iced tea, I was faced with 3 desserts!

I chose the chocolate mousse, which was rich, light, and just the right consistency. With a bigger appetite, I would have tried the delicate almond tart and diced fresh fruit compote, as well. Maybe next time.

The $12 price seemed very reasonable for such delicious dining so elegantly served. Now, I understand why some folks are saying Stylo is a 5-star restaurant in a 5-star hotel, I wholeheartedly agree!

But, could anyone tell me how I can substantiate the 5-star status?
Buen provecho!
Cora

Finally, a Saucier

As a self-proclaimed “gourmet cook”, wouldn’t you think I’d have a saucier?  Every “gourmet cook” has a fine collection of cooking utensils, kitchen equipment and serving items, but this one totally escaped me.   I’m hosting a “Guest Chef” series in my kitchen and one chef asked for this utensil to use in her class. Oh, no, I jumped on Google and got immediately educated into the style and art of cooking using a saucier, a cooking utensil that no French kitchen would be without.

On the Merriam Dictionary site, I read that Saucier is a town of about 1,300 folks in Mississippi, that out of 100 million people, 4,000 have the last name of Saucier, that the word “saucier” is used 20 time a day at Amazon.com and that ” saucier” rhymes with “glossier”.  However, the saucier I was looking for is last definition of the word, “a collectible specialty cooking piece with rounded sides that allow for easy, more efficient whisking”.  This was it, I just had to have a saucier.

Prices for a saucier on the internet run from Farberware $19.99 to AllClad $115.00o to LeCruset in 8 colors for $159.95, but to get one sent to Panama just didn’t seem necessary, I was sure that I could find one here.

The quest to find a saucier began in Boquete.  Since I never knew a saucier existed, it’s possible that our local department store La Reina would have one.  But no, their pots and pans came only in sets and none included a saucier.  The next step was to drive 45 minutes south to David, the capitol city of Chiriqui Province.  The drive went quickly and soon I was searching my favorite kitchen store, Mundial Rawsa, located on the main street leading into downtown David.

The owner, Ms. Tedman, showed me 10 different styles of pots and pans, she seemed to know what I wanted but couldn’t interest me in anything similar.  It had to be a saucier, nothing else would do.  I did find a real Wilton candy thermometer there, a real important find for a “gourmet cook” who doesn’t have a candy thermometer.

My last resort was ERA, Panama’s only commercial kitchen supply store west of Panama City.  Yes, they had a 1 quart, 18-10 stainless steel, “professional” saucier, as pictured here.  The price was $41.00; it gleams, it has a thick bottom and it just feels good.  Keep checking TBG for some good-tasting recipes I make in my new saucier.

Chef Lesson Oct 15

The most successful fundraiser to ever be held in Boquete is the BID 4 BOQUETE AUCTION, a one-day event held at our local fairgrounds on the first Sunday in December each year.  This event draws hundreds of folks, not just those attending the event, but so many business owners, residents and visitors who donate time, talents and items to make this such a success.

This year for the first time, special events are happening on days prior to December 6 and this is the first one scheduled.  Lauretta Bonfiglio, Executive Chef of Bistro Boquete Restaurant, is donating a cooking class to be held in The Boquete Gourmet’s kitchen next week.  All proceeds will go to the Bid 4 Boquete effort.  The poster above is probably too small to read, but I wanted to show how beautifully designed the event is and Lauretta’s Mexican theme, “Taste of Mexican Mole”.

Chef Lauretta probably uses fine-quality commercial kitchen equipment in her restaurant and I can easily see that my kitchen is in dire need of updating.  Now is the time to upgrade, so I’m busy equipping my kitchen with the finest cooking items available around this area.

Monday in David, I found a Cuisinart 12 inch, stainless steel skillet, the one with a small handle opposite the long handle, AND a very fancy Cuisinart 11 cup, stainless steel food processor, Model Number DLC-2011CHB.  I’ll need to study the detailed manual to learn how to use it, it does so many things and it’s so powerful compared to my 25 year-old Black & Decker model.

You can read about finding my saucier in a recent blog.  Several small utensils, serving pieces and large bowls will need to be purchased in order to make this latest upgrade to my kitchen complete.  You’ll be able to see a complete inventory of my updated kitchen in future blogs, please check back soon.

Chef Lauretta’s class sold out almost immediately and it’s happening next week.  I’ll be ready.

Thanks to Bid 4 Boquete for giving me the opportunity to donate the use of my kitchen for such a worthwhile cause, and thanks to Chef Lauretta for donating her time and expertise to help our Boquete community.  The students are in for a fun-filled evening with Lauretta and without them, this project would not have been possible.