Caribbean mojo sauce
MAKES 20 / PREPARATION 30 MINUTES / COOKING 25 MINUTES
Traditionally you would dip the floured croquettes in egg but using the aquafaba from the can of beans makes these a great vegan option. You can make them half size if you want smaller bite-sized treats, they just take longer to roll.
700g kūmara, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly crushed 1 teaspoon salt 1 x 400g can black beans
½ cup mixed coriander, parsley and mint leaves,
finely chopped
½ cup flour
1 cup dry breadcrumbs oil for deep frying mojo sauce, to serve
Steam the kūmara over boiling water until tender. Mash and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, cumin and salt and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
Drain the beans over a bowl so you save the aquafaba. Rinse the beans and add to the onion along with the kūmara mash. Season with pepper, fold together and set aside to cool.
When cool, mix in the herbs, then form heaped tablespoons of the mixture into logs (this is best done with slightly wet hands). Roll the croquettes in the flour, then the aquafaba and lastly in the breadcrumbs, and place on a baking tray. Set aside in the fridge until ready to cook.
Fill a deep fryer or a large saucepan or wok with the oil (do not fill more than one third ). Heat the oil to 180°C.
Fry the croquettes in batches for about 4-5 minutes until golden and heated through. Drain on paper towels. You can keep them warm in a 160°C oven while cooking the rest or if cooking in advance, reheat in a 200°C oven for 6-8 minutes.
Serve with mojo sauce.
MOJO SAUCE
MAKES ¾ CUP / PREPARATION 5 MINUTES / COOKING 3 MINUTES
Tangy and citrusy, Caribbean mojo is great served over chicken, fish and meat, as a dressing for grilled veges or stirred through cooked rice.
¼ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon cumin, ground
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ cup lime juice
¼ orange juice
3 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
Gently heat the olive oil in a small saucepan until just warm then add the garlic, dried oregano, cumin and paprika. Take off the heat and cool. Add the lime juice, orange juice and fresh oregano and mix well.
CREDITS Bamboo blind and oblong platter from Wah Lee Co Ltd; pale green dish from Jenny Ceramics; dark grey bowl by Rachel Carter from Kaolin; glass cake plates and gold cutlery from Royal Laboratorie. All other props stylist’s own. For full details, see Credits Index.