Coles food adviser Curtis Stone reveals supermarket’s new festive food menu
CELEBRITY chef Curtis Stone has revealed his tasty new Christmas menu for supermarket giant Coles. And one retro offering is sure to get your guests talking.
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SOME mothers do have ‘em — and if there’s a celebrity chef in your family, there’s a good chance you’re raised one too: a recipe ‘thief’ that is.
When Curtis Stone’s mum Lorraine tucked into her recent birthday dinner, it doubled as an opportunity for her visiting son to play Coles food adviser and road-test some of its hot new products ready to roll out for Christmas.
“This crackling ham, which is about to go crazy, is kind of my mum’s idea,” he told News Corp Australia.
“She’s always made the best roast pork and the best crackling, so of course, I steal it and share it with the country.”
Rather than the traditional glaze-and-bake approach to a skinless ham, the innovative Coles offering bound for this year’s Christmas table will be a boneless version, with a scored skin that crackles like pork and tastes just like it.
On set for the filming of Stone’s Coles commercial promoting the new ham line, his mum was apparently proud as punch to see it take centre stage.
“There was this whole thing about the crackling on the ham and she was going [pointing to herself] ‘that’s my idea,’” he laughed, adding, “she’s happy to be involved.”
The inspiration for another new product set to be a bestseller - a sausage roll wreath - also came via the kitchen of a friend’s mum, former MasterChef contestant and Coles ambassador Michael Wenden admits.
At $8, the budget-friendly favourite is shaped like a wreath and can be served with a bowl of sauce or fancier chutney in the centre.
Packed with Aussie beef mince, ham, roast vegies, cranberries and fennel in puff pastry, it will go on sale from November 26.
With sparkling prosecco expected to be the on trend tipple, the supermarket has also unveiled a prosecco pate in its range of deli delights especially for the festive season.
A gingerbread-making kit, complete with cookie cutters and icing pens is expected to be another big seller for kids to make; alongside the store’s ready made range of ‘Gerry and Friends’ gingerbread cookies, with a percentage of sales to go to Redkite childrens’ charity.
Convenience is king for the supermarket’s food producers, who showcased their extensive Christmas range at a media dinner, hosted by Stone.
The LA-based food star, TV presenter and restauranter encouraged the national supermarket giant to introduce lime and chilli-infused, ready-to-eat Townsville prawns, which will now go on sale two weeks before Xmas.
“You can either go traditional or contemporary [with Xmas food],” Stone said, “and contemporary feels more Aussie. There’s nothing less traditional than pavlova for Christmas but it’s kind of become our tradition.”
Last year’s top-selling gold-dust gingerbread puddings will return to the store’s menu, with Coles bulking up their order to account for its popularity, while also adding a delicious toffee apple crumble version.
Coles chief operating officer, Greg Davis said: “our Christmas range is a great example of how we are expanding and creating innovative products that customers can’t get anywhere else. It’s not just about providing the very best value but also giving our customers something special to help them impress their family and friends this Christmas.”