Quick Recipe: Deep Fried Bites and Sweet Fruit Dip (serves 2-4)
As I said, I deep fried 250g cheese curds, but feel free to use this batter recipe to deep fry some vegetables if you prefer! Quite a sturdy cheese works well, halloumi is also a good alternative.
To make the batter, mix together in a bowl 1/2 cup of plain flour, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup milk and 1 tsp baking powder, along with a generous pinch of salt and good squeeze of lemon juice. Chill in the fridge until ready to use.
Heat some oil in a small pan until very hot (please see my scotch egg post dated 24/5/20 for safety instructions when deep frying as it poses a fire and burn risk if you're not careful!). Dip the cheese bites into the batter until evenly coated, then carefully lower with tongs into the pan. Fry for a few minutes until golden. Remove and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper, leave to cool slightly for a couple of minutes, then enjoy!
These bites go perfectly with a sweet dip. Make a beautifully deep red plum dip by de-stoning 4 plums, then mashing them roughly in a small pan. Add 2 tbsp granulated sugar and a dash of water and bring to the boil, before simmering for 10 minutes until thickened. Drain some of the excess water and leave to cool slightly, before serving up with your bites!
Batter recipe adapted from Kidspot Kitchen. The cheese curds are from a new business on the Isle of Wight.
Longer Recipe: Caribbean-style curry (serves 2)
First, make your spice mix. In a pestle and mortar, grind together 1 generous tsp. coriander seeds, 1 tsp. mustard seeds, 3/4 tsp. cumin seeds, a pinch of crushed sumac berries and 1/2 tsp ground turmeric. Place aside.
Boil 2 handfuls of halved new potatoes until cooked. Drain and set aside.
Whilst the potatoes are cooking, Finely chop 1 large onion and heat gently in a different large pan with a glug of oil for at least 10 minutes until softened and slightly golden. Add 1 finely chopped garlic and heat for a further 1-2 minutes. Then add your spice mix and stir to coat the onion and garlic, cooking for a couple of minutes.
Now turn up the heat, and add 2 handfuls of chopped fresh pineapple (or tinned), a handful of finely sliced fresh coconut. Leave to catch slightly for a couple of minutes, then add 1 star anise, 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp sugar and some salt and pepper. Let it bubble away quite rapidly to allow the sauce to reduce and thicken. After approx 10 minutes, add the cooked potatoes.
After a further approx 20 minutes, you're ready to serve! You may need to add some water to loosen the sauce slightly. Great served with rice or on it's own.
Spice mix taken from allrecipes.com.
Happy cooking x
