serves four
For the cauliflower crisps
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets, florets thinly sliced on a mandoline
salt, to taste
For the pigs' trotters
drizzle olive oil
1 leek, chopped
1 onion, peeled, chopped
2 carrots, peeled, chopped
2 bay leaves
5 white peppercorns
1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally
4 pigs' trotters
1 litre/1 pint 15fl oz ham stock or water, to cover the trotters
For the maple and sherry vinegar jelly
200ml/7fl oz maple syrup
50ml/2fl oz sherry vinegar
2 gelatine leaves, soaked in cold water until softened
pinch agar-agar powder (available from larger supermarkets and Asian
grocers)
For the smoked eel beignets
200g/7oz smoked eel fillets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 free-range egg
100g/3½oz breadcrumbs
vegetable oil, for deep frying
For the cauliflower cream
1 large head cauliflower, chopped into florets
250ml/9fl oz milk
200ml/7fl oz whipping cream
pinch agar-agar powder (available from larger supermarkets and Asian
grocers)
For the smoked bacon crisps and powder
15 smoked bacon rashers
For the maple and sherry reduction
100ml/3½fl oz maple syrup
50ml/2fl oz sherry vinegar
100ml/3½fl oz olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the garnish
micro cress
Preheat the oven to 80C/175F, or to its lowest setting.
For the cauliflower crisps, lay the cauliflower slices onto a baking tray
in a single layer and season with salt. Dry out in the oven for six
hours, or until crisp. Set aside.
For the pigs' trotters, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large deep pan and gently fry the leek, onion, carrots, bay leaves and peppercorns for 2-3 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic bulb and the pigs' trotters, cover with ham stock or water and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 3-4 hours, or until the trotters are tender. Remove the trotters from the pan and pick the meat from the bone, discarding the skin and fat. Keep the picked meat in a bowl and set aside.
For the maple and sherry vinegar jelly, place the maple syrup and sherry vinegar into a non-reactive pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until reduced by a third. Squeeze out any excess water from the gelatine leaves and stir the gelatine into to the maple and sherry reduction until dissolved. Add the agar-agar powder to the pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes, then take off the heat. Allow to cool, then pour into a container and chill in the fridge for one hour, covered, or until set. When set, finely chop the jelly into small cubes.
For the smoked eel beignets, remove the skin and bones from the smoked eel fillets and shred the meat with a fork. Place the meat into a food processor and blend until smooth. Taste, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed. With damp hands, roll the smoked eel mixture into 25g/1oz balls. Dredge the eel balls in the flour, dip into the beaten egg and coat in the breadcrumbs. Place onto a tray and chill in the fridge until needed.
For the cauliflower cream, place the cauliflower florets, milk and cream into a pan and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender. Transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve. Return the cauliflower mixture to a clean pan and simmer over a low heat. Add the agar-agar powder and cook for 2-3 minutes, until thickened. Pour 75ml/2½fl oz of the cauliflower cream into a square container and chill in the fridge until set. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
For the smoked bacon crisps and powder, lay the bacon rashers on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until crisp. Reserve 12 of the crisp bacon rashers and set aside. Allow the
remaining three bacon slices to cool completely, then place into a food processor and blend to a fine powder.
For the maple and sherry reduction, place the maple syrup and sherry vinegar into a non-reactive pan and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, blending with a
stick blender, until smooth and well combined. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
For the eel beignets, heat the vegetable oil in a deep-fat fryer to 160C/325F (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Fry the beignets in small batches for 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Place three beignets on each of four serving plates, in a triangle formation.
Turn out the set cauliflower cream and cut into 3cm/1.5inch cubes. Lightly dust the set cauliflower cubes with the smoked bacon powder and place three cubes on each plate in between the smoked eel beignets. Place a slice of smoked bacon diagonally across each of the cauliflower cubes. Put a teaspoon of the reserved meat from the pigs' trotters in the centre of the plate and garnish with the micro cress and the cubed maple and sherry vinegar jelly. Spoon a thin line of the maple and sherry reduction around the plate and serve.
bacon recipe courtesy of: James Sommerin, Great British Menu, BBC-Food
