Recipes Michael Van De Elzen, Photography Babiche Martens
Test out Michael Van de Elzen’s food philosophy with these simple and delicious recipes.
Makes: 12 I Prep: 1 hour I Cook: 30 minutes
Michael says: “At the cookery school we use the cold smoker a lot, but don’t despair if you don’t have one as there are plenty of buy-off-the-shelf replacements. Smoked salt, smoked paprika or even smoked oil would give you a similar flavour.”
Ingredients
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 cup finely diced onion
500 grams beef mince
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Smoked Tomato Ketchup (see recipe below)
Savoury Shortcrust
340 grams plain flour
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
170 grams butter, cubed and chilled
6 tablespoons cold water
Method
SAVOURY SHORTCRUST: Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Rub in the cold butter, one cube at a time, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Slowly mix in the water until a dough starts to form. Add more water if required. Turn out onto a lightly floured bench and knead for a couple of minutes until smooth. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Wrap in baking paper and chill until required.
Preheat the oven to 170°C fan bake.
To make the filling, heat the oil in a small frypan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry until caramelised. Transfer to a large bowl, add the mince, breadcrumbs, mustard, salt, allspice and cloves and mix to combine.
Roll out the pastry to a 4mm thickness on a lightly floured bench.
Use a small side plate to cut out 12 circles. Spoon 3 tablespoons of mince mixture into the centre of each circle. Brush egg around the outside of each circle and fold over to form a half circle. Lightly press down the edges to seal. Brush egg over the top and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Transfer the turnovers to a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with Smoked Tomato Ketchup on the side.
Smoked Tomato Ketchup
Makes 2 cups I Prep: 10 minutes I Cook: 1 hour plus smoking time
10 medium red tomatoes
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed with the flat of a knife and peeled
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cracked pepper
Cut the tomatoes in half and arrange on a tray. Place in a cold smoker and smoke for 4 hours.
Preheat your oven to 200°C fan-bake. Sprinkle the salt over the tomatoes and roast for 25 minutes.
Heat the oil in a medium pot, add the garlic and simmer on a low heat until translucent. Increase the heat and add the tomatoes. Stir in the tomato paste. Simmer for 5 minutes before blending.
Return the sauce to the pot and add the vinegar, sugar and pepper. Bring back up to a simmer and cook for a further 20 minutes or until thick.
Store the ketchup in the fridge for up to 2 months.
Extracted from Good From Scratch by Michael Van de Elzen, photography by Babiche Martens, (Allen & Unwin NZ), $50.
