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Deep-fried shiitake mushrooms with ginger cavolo nero

Preparation time
less than 30 mins

Cooking time
10 to 30 mins

Serves

Serves 4

Dietary
Vegetarian

Saturday Kitchen Chefs - Ching He Huang

By Ching-He Huang
From Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients

For the sauce

  • 1 star anise
  • 150ml/5fl oz pomegranate juice
  • ½ tsp sweet potato flour (available online)
  • 1 tsp light, reduced-salt soy sauce
  • ½ tsp Sichuan pepper

For the seasoned flour

  • 50g/1¾oz sweet potato flour
  • 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp ground white pepper

For the seasoned breadcrumbs

  • 100g/3½oz panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp ground white pepper

For the batter

  • 50g/1¾oz sweet potato flour

For the quail Scotch eggs

  • 30g/1oz smoked bacon lardons, finely chopped
  • 30g/1oz unsmoked bacon lardons, finely chopped
  • ½ spring onion, finely sliced
  • 2 free-range quails’ eggs, boiled for 4 minutes, cooled and peeled

For the mushrooms

  • 200g/7oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stalks removed and cut into 15mm thick slices (or left whole if small)
  • vegetable oil, for deep-frying
  • 50g/1¾oz pomegranate seeds, to garnish
  • 15g/½oz hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped, to garnish
  • 4 pinches shichimi togarashi chilli mixture, to garnish

For the ginger cavolo nero

  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1 tsp grated fresh root ginger
  • 85g/3oz cavolo nero, leaves cut into 15mm slices and stalks very finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
  • 50ml/2fl oz vegetable stock

Method

  1. For the sauce, place all of the ingredients in a jug and whisk well to combine. Place in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Take off the heat and once cool, remove the star anise but keep it aside for decoration later.

  2. Combine the ingredients for the seasoned flour in a shallow bowl and the ingredients for the seasoned breadcrumbs in a separate shallow bowl. For the batter, mix the flour with 50ml/2fl oz of cold water in a shallow bowl until combined.

  3. For the quail Scotch eggs, mix the lardons and the spring onion in a small bowl. Add a teaspoon of the batter mixture and stir to combine. Dip the quail eggs in the flour, then the batter and then the breadcrumbs. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

  4. Preheat a deep-fat fryer or deep saucepan of vegetable oil to 160C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)

  5. Dip the mushrooms in the flour, then the batter and then the breadcrumbs. Place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.

  6. Fry the quail eggs for 3–4 minutes and the mushrooms for 2–3 minutes in the oil, until crispy and golden. Carefully remove using a slotted spoon and leave to drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Sprinkle over the shichimi togarashi and cut the eggs in half once cooled.

  7. For the cavolo nero, place a wok over a high heat until smoking. Add the rapeseed oil, sea salt and ginger and heat, shaking gently, for a few seconds. Add the cavolo nero and pour in the Shaoxing rice wine and stock. Stir-fry for a minute or so, or until the leaves are just wilted.

  8. Transfer the cavolo nero to four warmed serving plates. Spoon over the deep-fried mushrooms, add the quail egg halves and dress with the pomegranate sauce. Garnish with the pomegranate seeds and hazelnuts and decorate with the star anise. Serve immediately.

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