Here are some delicious spring/summer recipes from UK Shallots.
These tasty dishes are perfect for the warmer months, feeding into consumer trends of world cuisines and tapas-style sharing dishes.
Chaat Masala Potatoes and Shallots
Sweet and crunchy, raw echalions shallots marry perfectly with crispy new potatoes, cold yoghurt and a zingy dressing in this fresh Indian-inspired salad.
Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
For the potatoes:
750g baby new potatoes, cut lengthways into 1cm thick slices
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chaat masala
½ tsp ground turmeric
Salt and pepper, to taste
250g thick Greek yoghurt
1 echalion, thinly sliced on a mandolin or by hand
1 green chilli, thinly sliced
1½ tsp coriander seeds, toasted
1½ tsp nigella seeds, toasted
For the coriander chutney:
30g fresh coriander, reserving a few for garnish
1 green chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt
To serve:
1½ tbsp shop-bought tamarind paste
1½ tsp caster sugar
¼ tsp chaat masala
What to do:
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan. Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Once boiling add the potatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes until cooked through. Drain the potatoes.
Add the potatoes to a large baking tray – drizzle with the 2 tbsp oil, and top with the chaat masala, turmeric and seasoning. Toss to mix thoroughly. Roast in the oven, stirring once or twice, for 35 minutes, or until deeply golden.
Meanwhile, make the coriander chutney. Put all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth. Set aside.
To make the tamarind dressing, whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl with 1½ teaspoons of water until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
Spread the yoghurt on a large serving platter. Top with half the coriander chutney, swirling it through without completely incorporating. Drizzle with half of the tamarind dressing, and top with the potatoes, shallot and chilli. Drizzle over the remaining coriander chutney and tamarind dressing, then sprinkle over the toasted seeds and reserved coriander leaves and serve.
Spanish Cod Stew
This rich white fish stew with the warming flavours of shallot, paprika and brandy is delightful served topped with aioli and plenty of crusty white bread for dipping.
Serves: 4, as a starter or side
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
For the stew:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
50g shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 leek, washed and sliced
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
½ fennel bulb, finely chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato purée
4 tomatoes, chopped
175ml white wine
50ml brandy
1 bay leaf
750ml fish stock
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp smoked paprika
12 new potatoes, cooked
400g skinless white fish, such as cod or hake, cut into bite sized chunks
12 pitted black olives
Handful of fresh parsley
Handful of tarragon
Juice of 1 lemon
To serve:
Quick pickled shallots
Aioli
Crusty white bread
What to do:
Warm the olive oil in a large pan over a low heat. Add the shallots, garlic, leek, carrot, fennel and celery and gently fry for 10-12 minutes, until softened but not browned.
Add the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, white wine and brandy. Bring to the boil and cook to reduce the liquid volume by half.
Add the bay leaf and fish stock and bring up to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook to reduce the volume by half.
Add the cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, potatoes, fish and olives. Simmer for no more than five minutes, or until the fish is just cooked (depending on the fish of your choice).
Add the parsley, tarragon and lemon juice and stir gently so as not to break up the fish too much.
To serve, pour into bowls and serve topped with aioli and quick pickled shallots, with crusty bread alongside.