COOKING WITH / SWEET POTATO

We’ve always been inspired by our surroundings and the people within it, and we take great pride in having the privilege of working directly with the farmers, butchers, producers etc. who make this beautiful county of Herefordshire what it is.

Continuing to evolve and challenge ourselves is something we encourage, and want to do more of in 2017, which has been the driving force behind recent experiments in our kitchens. As such, Chef Nicole has been busy tinkering away, developing a vegan menu for an upcoming event at The Bookshop, in partnership with Hereford Indie Food… Vegan Night.

When it comes to sourcing fruit and veg, we look no further then Seb from Seb’s Organics. It’s always a pleasure dealing with Seb because his passion and knowledge for organic fruit and vegetables shines through. Based on a farm in the heart of Herefordshire, Seb has been supplying our restaurants with seasonally fresh organic produce that we’re always proud to shout about.

As a preview of what’s to come at next month’s Vegan Night, Chef Nicole has prepared a dish for you to create at home using the humble sweet potato.

Packed full of the 4 essential micronutrients we need in order to live healthy and active lives (Vitamin C, Thiamin, Potassium and Manganese), sweet potatoes are a versatile root vegetable which contain an abundance of health benefits:

• Boosts Immune Systems
• Nervous System Function
• Cell Protection
• Ability to Absorb Iron
• Teeth + Gum Health
• Psychological Function

To purchase tickets to Vegan Night, head HERE

In the meantime, I encourage you to whip up this delicious dish at home whilst we eagerly await April 26th's Vegan Night.

Dorian.

Smoked Sweet Potato | Black Garlic Harissa | Pecan Dukkah | Oat Creme Fraiche | Coriander

WHAT YOU'LL NEED...
Serves 4

• 2 Large Sweet Potatoes
• Handful of Oak Chips
• 150g Oat Creme Fraiche
• 3 stems Coriander
• Chervil or Green Leaf to garnish
• Lemon Juice
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt

Black Garlic Harissa
• 1 Pointed Red Pepper, roughly chopped
• 2 Tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 Red Onion, roughly chopped
• 6 Cloves Black Garlic
• 2 Red Chilli’s, left whole with stalks pulled off (3 if small) 
• 1 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
• 1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
• 1 tsp Coriander Seeds
• Juice 1 Lemon
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt

Coriander  Oil
• 30g Coriander
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 75 ml Olive Oil
• Sea Salt

Pecan Dukkah
• 60g Pecans
• 1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp Sesame Seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper

METHOD

Black Garlic Harissa
Preheat the oven to 200

Black Garlic is a great flavour and works well in this Harissa, place the red pepper, chilli, black garlic and red onion in an oven tray and coat with sea salt and olive oil. Roast for 15 minutes until nice and charred up, then leave to cool. Meanwhile places the spices in a frying pan and toast until fragrant. Place the charred ingredients in a food processor with the toasted spices and lemon juice, blend until smooth, taste for extra seasoning, lemon juice or olive oil. 

Pecan Dukkah

Roast the pecans at 180 for 5 minutes until toasted, leave to cool. In a frying pan toast the coriander seeds, sesame seeds, cumin seeds and fennel seeds until fragrant. Once all ingredients are cool, roughly chop the pecans. Place the spices in a pestle and crush, add the chopped pecans and crush again. 

Coriander Oil

In a food processor place the coriander and garlic and blitz until fine, add the oil and then season to taste. 

Cut the sweet potato on the bias to get ovals that are 1cm thick. Steam these until they are just soft, this takes about 7 minutes. Once steamed, place sweet potatoes on a tray and drizzle with olive oil and salt, roast at 200 for 12 minutes. Smoking is fairly simple, the important thing is to have it in an enclosed space. Get an old saucepan and place the handful of oak chips in and cover with foil, place on a high heat and keep shaking the pan to make sure all the chips burn. The enclosed space has to be heatproof, using an oven is best (as long as you clean it thoroughly afterwards), you could also use a very large saucepan with foil for covering. Once the chips are burnt, place pan in enclosed space with the sweet potatoes, pierce holes in the foil of the smoke pan and close the oven door/cover the pan with foil and leave for 15 minutes. I always test what I am smoking at different times to get the perfect smokey flavour. 

Whilst the sweet potato is smoking, finely chop the coriander and stir into the oat creme fraiche with lemon juice and sea salt to taste. 

The Sweet Potato will no longer be nice and crispy, get a hot frying pan with a little oil in and fry sweet potato on both sides until crisp and charred. To serve I start with a circle of creme fraiche, dress the sweet potatoes in the black garlic harissa and place on top of the creme fraiche. Sprinkle the pecan dukkah on top and garnish with some chervil leaves and coriander oil. 

The Harissa and Pecan Dukkah keep really well and are great with other dishes too!