Recipes

This is a delicious vegetarian entrée that I have just developed. Corn, with its natural sweetness, lends itself beautifully to the application of smoking. Using cumin as the principle spice accentuates this as well. 

Step 1

Smoked Paprika and Cumin Oil

Place the three ingredients into a small jar with a tight lid. Shake vigorously and repeat periodically for a day or two so the spices infuse. Strain off the oil through a clean cloth or muslin, discarding the spice. Store in an airtight container. 

Step 2

Smoked Corn Sauce

Bring a saucepan of salted water up to the boil. Add the corn cobs and cook for 5 minutes.

Place the corn in your smoker. Light the fuel and smoke over Manuka (or similar) chips for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and cool, then slice off the corn kernels. Hold.

In a small non reactive saucepan add the white wine, vinegar, shallots and garlic. Place on the medium low heat and reduce by half. Now add the smoked corn kernels along with the cream. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes to infuse.

Pour into a liquidiser and puree for a minute or so. Remove and pass through a sieve, discarding the solids. Season the smoked corn sauce with sea salt and fresh black pepper. Refrigerate until required. 

Step 3

Cauliflower and Pea Croquets

Place a medium sized saucepan filled with salted water on a high heat. Bring up to the boil. Add the cauliflower florets and cook for 5 minutes until just soft. Remove with sieve and place in a mixing bowl. Roughly break up the cauliflower florets with fork. Bring up to the boil again and repeat the process with the peas. Once cooked strain and add to the cauliflower.

In a suitable saucepan add the butter and place on a medium low heat. Once melted, stir in the flour. While whisking continuously, slowly add the milk to produce a silky smooth béchamel (white sauce). Stir in the toasted ground cumin seeds and season with sea salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce over the cauliflower and peas and mix to combine. Refrigerate for a couple of hours until cold.

To form the Croquets, set up a breading station with three bowls. One containing the flour, one the beaten eggs and the third the panko or bread crumbs.

With clean hands, form the croquettes into cylinders of about 5cm by 3cm. Roll lightly in the flour, dip into the egg then cover with bread crumbs. Repeat until the mix is finished. Use immediately, or refrigerate for no longer than a day.

Step 4

Cooking and Serving

Pre heat the oven to 120 degrees

In a large heavy bottom saucepan add the canola oil. Place on a medium heat.

Place the slithers of roasted red capsicum and the coriander leaves in a small bowl and dress with a little of the smoked paprika and cumin oil

Once the oil has reached about 170 -180 degrees (test by adding a small piece if white bread to the hot oil, it should turn golden and crisp after a minute or so), cook the croquets in batches until golden all over and hot through. Place on a tray lined with absorbent paper and put in the oven to keep warm while you cook the rest of the croquets.

Now gently heat up the smoked corn sauce over low heat or in the microwave.

To serve, pour a little sauce onto the centre of warm plates, add a couple of croquets and then top with some of the capsicum mix. Drizzle a little bit of the smoked paprika and cumin oil to finish. Serve now!