30 g (1 oz/¼ cup) cornflour (cornstarch)
1 teaspoon chilli salt (see below)
CHILLI SALT
10–12 dried red chillies
1 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar
100 g (3½ oz) sea salt
GORGONZOLA CREAM
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 French shallot, finely chopped
250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) pouring (single) cream
450 g (1 lb) gorgonzola cheese
FOR THE SWEET POTATOES
Cut the sweet potatoes into chips and soak in water overnight.Two-thirds fill a deep-fryer or large heavy-based saucepan with vegetable oil. Heat to 140°C (275ºF), or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden brown in 35 seconds.Line a baking tray with baking paper. Drain the chips and dry with paper towel. Place the cornflour in a large bowl or bag, add the chips and shake or toss to coat them in the cornflour.Working in batches if necessary, fry the chips for 4–6 minutes, or until just cookedTip them onto the baking tray and place in the freezer for 20 minutes.
FOR THE CHILLI SALT
Blitz the chillies in a food processor for 1 minute, until crumbly and flaky.Add the sugar and salt and continue to process until fine.You’ll end up with more chilli salt than you’ll need for this recipe, so transfer the remainder to a small airtight container and store in the pantry to use in other dishes.
FOR THE GORGONZOLA CREAM
Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat.Cook the shallot for 2–3 minutes, until tender.Stir in the cream and cook for 5–10 minutes, until reduced by half. Reduce the heat to low, add the gorgonzola and stir until it melts. Season to taste.
TO SERVE
Reheat the oil in a deep-fryer or heavy-based saucepan to 180ºC (350ºF), or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden brown in 15 seconds.• Deep-fry the frozen chips for 3–5 minutes, until crispy.
• Drain on paper towel and serve hot, sprinkled with the chilli salt, with a bowl of gorgonzola cream.
— Serves 4 as a side or snack.
Sharing PlatesSharing Plates, written by Luke Mangan, a leading Australian restauranteur and chef, is inspired by cuisine from Spain, Italy, Middle East and Asia.
Whether you are a host or need to take food for an easy brunch, a relaxed weekend dinner, a special occasion lunch dinner or drinks and nibbles there are many to choose from.
There is also a chapter including his famously divine desserts.
If you are hosting an occasion, this book shows how to balance flavours and textures and tells you how much time to prepare each dish. It explains what can be done in advance so you can enjoy the occasion.
The book starts with breakfast and brunch and goes through bread, snacks and salads, a chapter especially devoted to oysters and sashimi. Then it covers fish and shellfish, meat, poultry and sweets.
Mangan says there is something satisfying about sharing good food at a table with family and friends.
While formal dining will always have a place, many people are steering away from the traditional notion of sitting down to a three course meal and instead embracing a more laid back style of eating, sharing a few different plates of food.
This style of eating is nothing new of course — the Spanish, with their countless tapas bars, have been excelling at it for centuries. So have the Chinese with dim sim or chum ya, the Koreans with their banchan and the Indians with their thali. Scandinavians are known for their smorgasbords, the Middle Easterns enjoy meze plates and the Italians are famous for antipasti.
Sharing food creates interaction and conversation at the table, allowing diners to explore more tastes and flavours.
Mangan says it is simplest to stick to a general style of cuisine, for example Spanish, Asian or Mediterranean — but don’t be afraid to be more adventurous too.
