CHANUCAH RECIPE SPECIAL
It is not often you are required, for religious reasons, to indulge in deep-fried food. So make the most of it by adding these delicious and unashamedly calorific goodies to your traditional festive fare
FABIENNE VINER-LUZZATO’S Mini savoury, spiced filled doughnuts
Makes: 20 turmeric and 20 paprika doughnuts
INGREDIENTS
500g flour, approximately 14g fast action yeast 2 tbs vegetable oil 1 egg 25cl warm water 12cl milk Flavourings: paprika, dried oregano, turmeric and celery seeds Oil, for deep frying
METHOD
Mix the flour, yeast, oil, egg, water and milk until the dough forms a neat ball. If it feels dry/ wet, add a little water/flour.
Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic — about 10 minutes. Divide the dough in half. Add a heaped teaspoon each of turmeric and celery seeds to one half, and the same amount of paprika and oregano to the other. Knead to combine. Leave the doughs in two bowls covered with cling film in a warm place for at least one hour or until they have doubled in size. Divide each ball into 20. Leave them on a baking sheet lightly covered to rise for 30 minutes.
Heat the oil to 180°C and keeping the heat at a medium level (or they will burn before cooking), cook the doughnuts until golden outside and cooked through.
When cooked, use a skewer to make a hole in the side of each doughnut and use a syringe to fill with either tomato sauce for the paprika doughnuts or cheese sauce for the turmeric ones.
SWEET TOMATO SAUCE
INGREDIENTS 1 large onion, sliced 1 tbsp olive oil 3 garlic cloves Dried oregano 400g tin chopped tomatoes 100g concentrated tomato paste 4 tbsp sugar 15g basil, chopped
METHOD
Fry the onion in olive oil until it is golden brown.
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and garlic. Stir well. Add 3 tinfuls of water. Add the sugar and dried oregano and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring regularly. Season to taste, then cool.
Add the basil and blend.
CHEESE SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
¼ litre warm milk 50g butter 50g plain flour Nutmeg (optional) 100g grated emmenthal or cheddar cheese
METHOD
Gently melt the butter. Remove from the heat, add the flour and mix to a paste.
Gradually add the warm milk, whisking well.
Return to the heat and slowly cook the sauce, whisking constantly until it thickens. Season, with nutmeg if preferred and add the cheese. www.homecookingbyfabienne.co.uk
RYAN BARTLEY’S Fruit tempura with salted caramel
THIS classic Japanese recipe is traditionally savoury. I have transformed it from a starter into an interesting dessert and teamed it with a salted caramel sauce.
INGREDIENTS
250ml ice-cold sparkling water ½ egg, beaten 100g plain flour plus extra for coating 50g cornflour ½ tsp baking powder 1 apple, cored and sliced 1 pear, cored and sliced 1 banana, peeled and sliced at an angle Icing sugar, to serve Vegetable oil, for frying For the sauce: 100g granulated sugar 25ml water 100g unsalted butter 100ml double cream 5ml soy sauce 1 tsp good quality salt
METHOD
To make the tempura batter: mix the egg into the cold water and sift in the flours and baking powder.
Gently mix together with a fork, making sure not to combine too much (this makes the batter chewy when fried). The batter should be thick and lumpy.
Heat the vegetable oil to 180°C and warm your oven on its lowest setting.
Roll the fruit pieces in plain flour and dip one or two pieces at a time in the batter, covering them totally but allowing the excess to drip off.
Carefully lower into the hot oil and fry for 3-4 minutes, until crisp and lightly golden.
Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in the oven before serving. Repeat until all the fruit has been fried.
Serve with a dusting of icing sugar and salted caramel sauce for dipping.
To make the caramel: dissolve the sugar in the water in a heavybottomed pan over a medium heat. Do not stir.
When the sugar has dissolved turn up the heat and boil until a brown-mahogany colour. Immediately remove from the heat and whisk in the butter.
Add the cream and continue to whisk. The sauce will be a golden colour and thin — it thickens as it cools. Stir in the soy sauce and salt.
Cool before serving. www.ryanbartleyfood.com