Lorraine Fung, the Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards caterer of the year, shares a great festive supper set high in the hills with a magnificent view of the capital city. “Spend most of Christmas day in bed,” she suggests, “and spread a late supper when family members are well rested, have opened their presents, received most of the overseas calls and are more in the mood to entertain and be entertained.”

That sounds like a great idea to us too, since we plan to party in Christmas 2005 and luxuriate in bed until midday on Christmas day.

What we love most about Fung’s supper menu is the way she has sprinkled Chinese influences throughout, offering lots of vegetable dishes which are as delicious as they are healthy, like the spicy corn and the beetroot in ginger sauce.

Fung’s creativity is unearthed in her lychee-glazed baked ham and Fungyap reggae pasta. But first things first, let’s unveil her spread:

Lychee-glazed baked ham

Fungyap reggae pasta

Beetroot in ginger sauce

Spicy corn

Garden salad

Veggie Spring Rolls

Cranberry chili grilled shrimp

Tamari soy fillet of beef

Stuffed pork leg with sushi rice, herbs and pine nut

Pina Colada chicken thigh

Szechuan lobster

“These dishes are all familiar ones,” explains Fung, “but with Oriental touches. And we all know how much we love Chinese food. Most of these dishes can be made ahead of time (especially the salads) and refrigerated.

Leftovers can be used on Boxing Day.”

Supper, might we hasten to add, was superb.

Here are four recipes:

Lychee-Glazed Baked Ham

Ingredients: You will need 1 pre-cooked ham

For the glaze:

1 tin of lychee in syrup

Method:

Puree lychee with syrup. Put to boil on a low heat.

Add brown sugar and continue boiling until the consistency resembles syrup.

Add 1 tbs of cornstarch mixed with water to thicken.

Use cherries for additional garnish.

Fungyap Reggae Pasta

Ingredients:Cranberry Chili Grilled Shrimp

1 package of tricolour pasta

1 each bell pepper (yellow, red and green)

Skin of one tomato

Skin of one cucumber

1 tablespoon of chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Dressing

Vidalia vinaigrette

Garnish

Sorrel chutney and raisin

Method:

Cook pasta per instruction on the package

Add julienne of bell peppers with tomato and cucumber skins, chopped parsley, salt and pepper.

Add dressing and garnish

Chill before serving (this can be made on Christmas Eve).

You will need:

1 package of frozen shrimps (allow 6-10 pcs per person) according to size.

Pick and devein. Season and set aside in the refrigerator. This can be done the day before.

For the Grilling Sauce:

1 cup of cranberry juice.

1 peg of ginger (peeled and chopped in fine pieces)

Chili sauce (to taste)

Cornstarch

1 cup of water

Method:

Boil cranberry juice and ginger

Reduce

Add sweet chili sauce to flavour, salt to taste and thicken with a mixture of cornstarch and water. Add cranberry to sauce. Remove from flame and set aside. Coat shrimps while grilling.