Health-adapted smoked cashew croquetas

Click for original book recipe

Ingredients (for 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 servings, Metric system SI US customary units )

Preparation

1. Prepare the smoked cashews
   If you don't have a tabletop smoker, you can use a steamer in a pot instead. Line the pot with aluminum foil to prevent the smoking chips from discoloring the pot.
   Place the smoking chips on the aluminum foil in the pot and place over medium heat until the chips burn well (if they don't burn, use a blowtorch, lighter or matches).

   All ingredient quantities in this recipe are based on 4 servings.

2. When the chips are burning well, place the steamer in the pot (with the ingredients you want to smoke in it) and put the lid on. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes until the desired smoky flavor is achieved (p. 116 in the same book).

3. Start preparing the smoked cashew croquetas
   Put the smoked cashews in a blender with 500 ml (2 cups) of water and the salt and process until smooth. Put in a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring constantly - the mixture will thicken considerably when it comes to the boil. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.

   In the original recipe, the author uses 10 g of salt for 4 servings. We replaced this with a pinch and 2 teaspoons of nutritional yeast (see notes).

   Motivation (apple symbol) and link to the original recipe can be found directly above the recipe picture.

4. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper and then transfer everything to a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap so that the wrap rests on the surface of the mixture and place in the fridge to cool.

5. For the roasted seeds
   Preheat the oven to 160°C / 180°C (fan oven) (or 350°F or gas mark 4). Spread the sunflower seeds on the baking tray and roast for 5 minutes (or until golden brown). Leave to cool.

   The author uses a seed mixture (sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, linseed and hemp seeds).

6. For the glazed beetroot
   Take a large piece of aluminum foil and wrap the beetroot in it with 50 ml of water so that the package is watertight. Place on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 1 hour until the beetroot is soft. Then leave to cool in the aluminum foil.

   In the meantime, prepare the orange emulsion.

7. Once cooled, remove the aluminum foil and pour the remaining liquid into a pan. Remove the skin from the beetroot and add it to the liquid in the pan. Cut off the stems from the beetroot and then cut the beetroot into 1 cm thick slices. You will need 20 slices for 4 servings. Use a vegetable peeler to cut the corners off each slice so that they are nice and round. Set aside.

   To avoid discoloration, line the cutting board with 4 pieces of cling film and wear plastic gloves.

8. Finely chop the onion and celery. Add the beetroot trimmings to the skin of the pot along with the finely chopped onion, chopped celery, bay leaf, pepper and the remaining water (500 ml). Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and then simmer for 20 minutes.

9. Remove from the heat, allow to cool completely and then strain through a sieve. First, pour 200 ml of the beetroot stock into a clean pan. Bring to the boil quickly until the stock begins to thicken noticeably and the liquid has almost completely evaporated. Add the red wine and port and then simmer until three quarters of the mixture has reduced.

10. For the orange emulsion
    Finely grate the orange zest and then juice the oranges. Make sure you have 200ml of orange juice. If not, juice another orange. Place the zest and juice in a small saucepan and simmer gently until the liquid is reduced by half.

    In the meantime, continue with the smoked cashew croquetas.

11. Remove the orange juice from the heat and allow to cool completely, then add the mustard and sugar and mix. Puree with a hand blender, slowly add the rapeseed oil and continue mixing until everything is thick and well combined.

    In the original recipe, the author uses 100 ml of rapeseed oil for 4 portions (see notes). By reducing the oil content, the emulsion is a little thinner than the original. Therefore, thicken it a little with starch if necessary.

    The author uses Dijon mustard and caster sugar.

    According to the author, the emulsion can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

12. Finishing the smoked cashew croquetas
    Put half of the flour on a plate and the other half in a large bowl. Add the remaining measured water (250 ml) to the bowl to form a thin batter. Put the breadcrumbs on a plate. Fill the mixture for the croquetas into a piping bag with a 2 cm tip.

    If you don't have a piping bag, simply use a plastic freezer or storage bag and trim the edge to create an opening about 2 cm wide.

13. Prepare the fryer. Place the watercress in a small bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil. Press the croquetas into 5-6cm sausages on the floured plate and then gently pull them through the flour. Repeat until you have 8 nicely shaped croquetas.

    Instructions on how to prepare the deep fryer can be found in the same book on page 26. To do this, you will need a vegetable oil of your choice that is suitable for use at high temperatures.

    The author uses a handful of watercress in the original recipe.

14. Using a knife, drop the croquetas one at a time into the flour and water mixture and then into the breadcrumbs. Drag each croqueta through the breadcrumbs to ensure they are completely covered, then gently roll the croquetas again to give them the correct tube-like shape.
    Continue until all the mixture is used up. Fry the croquetas, one at a time if necessary, until crispy and golden brown, then drain on kitchen paper.

15. Continue with the glazed beetroot
    At the same time, place the beetroot slices in a large pan and add the port glaze. Bring the glaze to a quick boil and reduce until it forms a sticky, glossy glaze. Toss the beetroot in the glaze to make sure it is well coated - if the glaze is too thick, add a small splash of water.

16. Serve
    Arrange 3 or 4 beetroot slices and 2 croquetas on each of 4 large plates. Divide the orange emulsion between the plates (remember that the emulsion has an intense flavour). Arrange the watercress nicely on each plate with olive oil and then sprinkle everything with linseed (preferably ground) and chopped walnuts. Serve hot.

    The author uses various mixed seeds and additional leaf mustard (Rouge Métis) for garnishing.