The Taste of FW20:
Seasonal Specialties
From Six Designers

1-2 cups of canola oil or vegetable oil or peanut oil
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 piece of small ginger, finely chopped
3-5 shallots, thinly sliced (or 1 small red onion)
5 pieces of whole star anise
5 cinnamon sticks
4 tablespoons of Thai chili flakes (more or less depending on how spicy you want it)
¼ cup dried shrimp, soaked and finely chopped (can leave out for a vegetarian version)
3 tablespoons of ground Szechuan peppercorns
1 tablespoon of white pepper
1 spoonful of palm sugar or brown sugar

Heat oil in a small pot with Szechuan peppercorns, ginger, star anise, cinnamon sticks, garlic, shallots, and dried shrimp on very low heat, should be a gentle simmer. Watch the pot carefully until the garlic turns slightly golden. Should be around 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients into the hot oil mixture and let it rest. As it cools down, the garlic and shallots will continue to cook and crisp up.

Store in a glass jar and enjoy up to 3-4 weeks. Keep in the fridge to extend shelf life of the chili oil.

Enjoy it over everything you make!

1 ripe (lightly bruised) plantain
1 bundle of Kale
1 half white onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 egg
Olive Oil
Grace Caribbean Traditions Jerk Seasoning
Himalayan sea salt
Cracked black pepper
Hot sauce of Choice (I use Cholula Original)

Start with the plantain. Select a slightly bruised "Sweet Plantain," which may appear to be over-ripe, however the more ripe the more sweet. Slice off both ends of the plantain, then slice along the length to open up the skin. Use your fingers to peel back the skin of the plantain. Slice it up diagonally about 1/4 inch or 5 mm thick. With a large frying pan, bring the flame to high and pour in olive oil, generously coating the bottom of the pan. You don’t need to skim on the oil here, it’s best to have more to fry the plantain in. Layer the plantain slices in across the base of the pan and allow to begin frying. The edges will darken in color, and the oil will sizzle. Be careful as hot oil has a tendency to jump up and bite you. Allow the slices to darken at the edges and use a fork to flip them over to the other side. This process is quite quick so it's best to stand near and watch. Both sides will fry in under 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Layer 2-3 sheets of paper towel over your cutting board. Use a fork to remove the plantains from the pan and layer on the paper towels. To soak out the excess oil lightly press the plantain with an extra paper towel.

My favorite Jerk seasoning for this dish is “Grace Caribbean Traditions Jerk Seasoning.” If this isn’t sold at your grocery, check a Jamaican market, or maybe Amazon is wit it. However, any “Jerk” flavored dry seasoning should do. Start with a white onion, you will only need about a half. Slice the top and bottom of the onion off, and then cut in half. Slice the half up into small onion slivers. In the same large frying pan, using the excess oil from the plantain, return to medium heat and layer in onions. Add 1tbsp of garlic and allow to simmer over medium heat white stirring together onions and garlic. Again be careful here as the oil is hot! Once onions and garlic are mixed together, and caramelizing we are going to layer in the Kale. Tear off the heads of the kale, massaging the leaves to break them down. Create a layer of Kale over the unions and garlic. Using your Jerk seasoning, dust a layer of jerk seasoning across the entire pan. A fine layer is enough seasoning usually because salt can be added later for taste if necessary. It's best to not go too crazy here because these spices are strong. Now, using a spatula or large wooden spoon, stir the entire pan making sure the onions move on top of the kale and the kale reaches the bottom of the pan and oil. Once mixed, allow to cook for 5 mins while stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to sit and cool with Plantain.

We have all fried an egg—or we have not, and then this is for you. In a frying pan, coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil over medium heat. Crack an egg on the side of the pan, and drop the egg into the center. Allow the egg to cook to desired preference. I like to flip the egg over and fry both sides while still leaving the yolk a bit runny. Add salt and pepper to egg.

Egg whites from 4 large eggs
Caster sugar, 220 grams
Cornflour, 1 tablespoon
Lemon juice, 1 teaspoon
Rose water, 1 teaspoon
Thickened cream, 300ml
Icing sugar, 1 tablespoon
Natural plant based pink food colour
Strawberries
Rose petals

Preheat oven to 120°C/100°C fan-forced. Grease and line oven tray with baking paper; trace an 18cm circle on paper.

Beat egg whites in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add caster sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar dissolves between additions. Fold in cornflour and lemon juice.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the rose water and whip on low for about 30 seconds.

Spread meringue inside circle on tray; level top with spatula. Bake, uncovered, about 1¼ hours or until meringue is firm. Cool meringue in the oven with the door ajar.

Whip cream, in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.

When the cream reaches soft peaks, add the icing sugar and pink colour, whip till stiff peaks are formed.

Serve meringue topped with pink cream mixture, strawberries and rose petals.

Do not open the oven even if tempted! Very important to let the meringue cool down in the oven with the door only very slightly open.

summer leeks, Szechuan peppercorn salt, mushroom powder, and garlic in butter until brown

add carrots and parsnips, simmer until soft (approximately 7 minutes)

add filtered, clear vegetable broth

heat on low until ready to serve

ratio: 5 eggs to each cup of matzo meal
¼ cup butter, melted (use schmaltz if not veg)
3 tbsp club soda
1 tsp salt + garlic powder + black pepper
½ cup chopped parsley

mix all ingredients for Balls together (will resemble wet sand but will firm up later), chill for at least two hours

bring large pot of salt water to boil

with wet hands, scoop out balls of matzo mixture that are bigger than a golf ball but smaller than a tennis ball and float them in the salt water→ reduce heat to simmer and cook for 25 minutes (they start to sink when done)

with slated spoon transfer balls to bowls, ladle soup over balls, do not submerge fully

top with chopped parsley and pepper

Eat!

Good steady hands

Plantains (preferably ripe or “maduro,” usually yellowish with accents of black)

500ml Groundnut Oil is enough for a good Plátano frying session

A frying pan (the deeper the better)

Table Salt

450 grams filo sheets
400 grams feta cheese
4 eggs
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon baking soda
75 grams butter

Preheat oven to 220 C

Crumble all feta into a medium sized bowl and add eggs and oil.
Add baking soda to yogurt and quickly mix as it starts to bubble and add to cheese mixture.

In a well-oiled large baking tray—layer (and be sure to scrunch!) the filo sheets with the cheese mixture, using 2-3 filo sheets per layer. You will make around 3-5 layers (depending on tray size)—be sure to save about a cup of cheese mixture for the top and spread chunks of butter on top to get a nice golden crust.

Bake at 220C for 35-40min. About half way through cover with parchment paper to avoid burning.