Well realistically all we can say is WOW! Sue was sceptical about this recipe. But it really was superb! I blagged a whole Octopus from the fish counter at the local Supermarket for £2.43 so although the ingredients sound like you’re reading War and Peace, we probably shoehorned this into budget, or thereabouts. We’ve built up quite a comprehensive store of Asian spices and sauces so a teaspoon here and a tablespoon there really don’t cost us much on a day to day basis.
Ingredients:-
100g of Plain Flour (Gluten free in our case)
½ Tsp of Baking Powder
3 Eggs lightly beaten
100ml of cooled Fish Stock
1 medium Potato, peeled and grated
¼ of a White Cabbage, finely sliced
1 Spring Onion, finely sliced
A thumb of fresh Ginger, grated
1 Tsp of Soy Sauce
1 Tsp of Shaoxing Wine
200g of mixed Sea Food (We used an Octopus, King Prawns and Scallops which we already had in the freezer from the local Chinese supermarket)
Oil to fry
Salt & Pepper
1 Tbsp of Japanese Mayo
Powdered Seaweed (Laver ground with Salt)
Tempura Batter scraps
Spring Onions, sliced
Method:-
(1) Combine the Flour, Baking Powder, Eggs and grated Potato. Squeeze out and liquid for the Potato before adding.
(2) Season with Salt and Pepper.
(3) Cover and allow to rest in the fridge for 2 hours or more.
(4) Make up the Tonkatsu Sauce and set aside.
(5) Pre cook the seafood ingredients in a little Oil until lightly done and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
(6) Remove the batter (Step 1) from the fridge and add the Cabbage Spring Onions, Ginger, Soy Sauce, Shaoxing Wine and cooled Seafood.
(7) Stir well to combine.
(8) Heat a little Oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
(9) Pour in the mixture and fry for 3 to 5 minutes.
(10) Flip over and cook for a further 3 to 5 minutes.
(11) Slide onto a large serving plate and garnish with the sauce and garnishes.
Dressing your own Octopus, other shellfish etc. might not be your cup of tea. But a decent Fishmonger or even the guys at the supermarket will generally be more than willing to help. The inner child in me likes messing with it’s food however!
Kaszanka is a Polish blood sausage which you'll find in most Polish shops. It tastes like a cross between Black Pudding and Haggis with a slightly more moist texture. Roasted with a selection of vegetables the sausages themselves have a tendency to break down, leaving you with a very hearty 'Soup'.They generally cost a little over £2 per Kilo pack so they are less than half the cost of a British gourmet sausage and for two people you'll easily have sufficient for two good meals.
The pizza component is actually nothing more than a giant Yorkshire pudding. You can buy a Yorkshire pudding mix from most supermarkets for less than 50p and all you need to do is add a couple of eggs and water. Just make sure your oil is smoking hot!
Ingredients:-
8 thick Kaszanka Polish blood sausage
1 small Onion
1 finely chopped Carrot
2 cloves of Garlic (Crushed)
½ a shredded Savoy Cabbage
2 Vegetable stock cubes, enough to cover the Sausages
Grated Cheese (Cheddar)
For The Yorkshire Puddings (GF) A Yorkshire Pudding mix from the Supermarket will work fine if you don't need the Gluten Free version.
140g of GF plain flour
50g of Cornflour
140ml of semi skimmed Milk
3 Eggs
A dash of cold water
Sat & Pepper
Vegetable oil
Method:-
(1) Preheat the oven to 200C.
(2) Place the Sausages in an oven proof dish.
(3) Cover with the Onion, Carrots and Garlic.
(4) Add the Vegetable stock making sure the Sausages are covered.
(5) Place on the middle shelf and cook for an hour or until the Sausages have broken down completely.
(6) Allow to cool.
Giant Yorkshire Pudding:-
(1) Turn the heat up to 220C.
(2) Place vegetable oil in a baking tray and heat until smoking hot.
(3) Add the Eggs to the Milk and whisk.
(4) Mix the GF Flour and Cornflour and season with Salt and Pepper.
(5) Add the Flour mix a little at a time to the Egg and Milk mix whisking it as you go.
(6) You should aim for a smooth runny texture.
(7) Add straight to the hot Oil and place on the top shelf of the oven for about 30 minutes. Until the Yorkshire Pudding has risen and golden brown.
(8) In a large pan reheat the Sausage mixture adding a little water if it seems too thick.
(9) Add the shredded Cabbage and simmer for about 10 minutes until the Cabbage has softened.
(10) Remove the Yorkshire Pudding from the oven and add the Sausage mixture to the middle.
(11) Heat the grill.
(12) Sprinkle grated Cheese over the Sausage mixture and place under the grill until it melts. Take care not to burn the top of the Yorkshire Pudding.
Cut and serve with vegetables of your choice. We had Cauliflower Cheese, Mustard mashed Potatoes and fried root vegetables.