With Recipes: Portoro's Nathalie Küpfer Henares on Celebrating a Filipino Christmas with European Opulence

The set-up will highlight a simple yet majestic Christmas tree. Smelling of fresh pine and cinnamon, this is among Küpfer Henares’ staples when it comes to holiday décor. “My own decorations will be simple and elegant with a focus on a few beautiful hand-crafted items,” she reveals.

For the tree, she will be using Portoro’s Christmas Forest ornaments in unglazed porcelain. There will be plenty of candles, and hints of gold all around to tie in with the regal bearing of her L’Impératrice set. “We [also] have the traditional Advent wreath with four candles symbolising the four weeks leading to Christmas,” Küpfer Henares adds. “I light these candles every night and add a few more around the living room and kitchen to get that ‘wintry’ candle glow into our home.” 

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While all such décor sounds luxurious, it isn’t quite the most important part of Küpfer Henares’ Christmas. “Luxury means having time for each other,” Küpfer Henares muses. “Now, more than ever, we long to share moments with our loved ones. Christmas has always been about slowing down and spending a bit more time around the table with family and friends.” The pandemic has put a strain on many of us—on our social lives, and perhaps even on our mental health. This season, Küpfer Henares looks forward to a simple but beautiful holiday, spent with loved ones.

Nothing too ostentatious, but with plenty of heart-warming moments to make one feel fulfilled. “I will be spending time cooking for the family and preparing a wonderful table,” she says. “My husband will certainly make sure we have a wonderful playlist and choose some good bottles of wine to serve with my dishes. We will be happy to slow down for a few days after a hectic year, go for longer walks and biking tours, and have more time to read.”

Though she is now spending December in the sunny tropics, Küpfer Henares reminisces on Christmases past. In Switzerland, where the snow-capped Alps are prominent, and winter comes with a blanket of frost, Küpfer Henares shares special memories that can only be treasured through vivid recollection. “I eagerly await Christmas which starts with the lighting of the city of Zurich towards the end of November,” she shares excitedly. “We have Christmas markets...we drink Glühwein [hot wine steeped with spices] and enjoy some raclette or fondue.”

At her parents’ house, she and her siblings bask in the warmth of the atmosphere. There is the welcoming scent of beeswax candles and fresh-cut pine. Cookies bake in the oven, and the tempting aromas of traditional dishes from generations past entice the family to gather around the dinner table.

Though Christmas in 2021 may no longer resemble the grandeur of past holidays (thanks in large part to the pandemic), Küpfer Henares remains grateful for all her blessings: her family and her business, and the familiar traditions that bring her joy amid a time of uncertainty.

Read more: 3 Easy Dessert Recipes By Nigella Lawson

INGREDIENTS

• Fresh eggs, at least one per guest Mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper
• Black caviar
• Fresh chives or dill, finely chopped

Pour enough water in a saucepan to cover the eggs and bring to a boil. Carefully drop the eggs into the boiling water and cook for ten minutes. Remove immediately and place in a bowl of iced water to halt the cooking process. Once the eggs have cooled, shell and cut into half. Remove the yolks; set the whites aside in the refrigerator, covered with waxed paper. In a separate bowl, mash the egg yolks with mayonnaise and season to taste. If you have a piping bag, place the yolk mixture into it and pipe into the reserved egg whites. Top with a half-teaspoon of caviar and the finely chopped chives or dill. Refrigerate up to 30 minutes before serving or serve immediately.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 to 6 bone-in chicken breasts or thigh quarters 1⁄2 cup bacon, diced
• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup of chicken stock
• 4 shallots, peeled but left whole
• 4 tbsp cognac
• 2 and 1/2 cups roasted chestnuts, peeled and caramelised 2-3 tbsp of olive oil
• 4 to 6 slices of foie gras
• 4 to 6 slices of a good sourdough bread, toasted until golden and crisp
• Salt and pepper, to season
• Flour for dredging

Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, tapping off excess. Place your cocotte (cast iron casserole) over medium heat. Add butter and olive oil and heat until sizzling. Place the chicken parts skin-side down and cook until browned. Flip over and brown the other side. Add the bacon and shallots and cook until the bacon has crisped at the edges. Pour in the cognac and carefully set alight to flambé the poultry. When the flames have died, set heat to low, add the chicken stock and cover the pan. Leave to cook for 45 minutes or until the chicken is very tender.

To serve:

Serve the chicken by placing a slice of toasted sourdough bread on every plate. Top with a piece of chicken, foie gras, and some of the chestnuts. Carefully drizzle the sauce over each helping. If desired, serve with a gratin Dauphinois and green vegetables lightly cooked in butter. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

For the chocolate mousse:

• 250g of milk chocolate 250g of dark chocolate
• Water
• 6 eggs
• 100g icing sugar 100g butter

Place the chocolates in a bowl within a bain-marie. Pour in enough water to cover half of the chocolate. Heat through whilst stirring constantly until the
chocolates have liquefied. Remove from heat.

Add the butter and icing sugar to the molten mixture and combine until well amalgamated. Allow to cool to room temperature. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. Whisk the yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and carefully fold into the chocolate mixture.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the charlotte:

• Ladyfingers or savoiardi
• 1⁄2 cup Armagnac
• Prepared chocolate mousse
• 1⁄2 cup warm water

Prepare a mould or springform cake tin. Combine the Armagnac and water in a shallow dish and quickly dip the ladyfingers into it. Arrange the dipped ladyfingers on the bottom and sides of the prepared tin, ensuring that there are no spaces through which the mousse may ooze out. Spoon the mousse onto the ladyfingers, then layer with additional ladyfingers. Repeat the process until you have used up both biscuits and mousse. Cover with either cling film or wax paper. Freeze or refrigerate overnight.

For the orange coulis:

• 5 tbsp bitter orange marmalade
• 200ml fresh orange juice
• 2 tbsp grenadine syrup
• 1 orange

Peel and julienne the orange. Set aside. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, bring the orange juice and grenadine to a boil. Pour the resulting sauce through a fine-meshed sieve and return to the pot. Add the marmalade and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and add the julienned orange. Remove from heat and cool for around five minutes before drizzling onto the unmoulded charlotte. Serves 6.

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