Elderflower Tempura with Elderflower Dipping Sauce
Saturday morning recipes with Simon Mayo & Nigel Barden
Every week on Simon Mayo's Saturday show, we're joined by food and wine expert, Nigel Barden, who talks us through incredible recipes and the wines that go with them. As well as satisfying your taste buds, we also satisfy your ears with a classical track that compliments the food perfectly.
Simon Mayo's show is on from 10am until 1pm every Saturday and you can listen here. On Saturday 25th May we made Elderflower tempura with elderflower dipping sauce.
The full recipe is below:
Elderflower tempura with elderflower dipping sauce
From delicious. magazine
Recipe and food styling Linda Tubby
Photograph Laura Edwards
Serves 6
Takes 10 minutes to make
15 minutes to cook
This unusual elderflower dessert recipe is a sweet twist on the classic Japanese dish. A lovely way to end a dinner party.
Ingredients
About 18 elderflower heads
Sunflower oil for deep-frying
1 large free-range egg
250ml sparkling water
125g cornflour
125g fine rice flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp caster sugar, plus about 3 tbsp for dusting
For the dipping sauce:
150ml elderflower cordial
1 tbsp arrowroot powder
Method
Remove most of the elderflower stalks and shake all the heads to remove any insects.
To make the dipping sauce, mix the cordial with 150ml cold water in a small saucepan. Mix the arrowroot with 1 tbsp of the elderflower cordial mixture in a bowl to a smooth paste. Return to the pan and heat gently for 5 minutes until it’s just simmering, is clear and has thickened to a coating consistency. Put to one side to cool.
To make the tempura, pour the oil into a large pan and heat to 190°C or until a cube of bread browns in 20 seconds. Mix the egg and the fizzy water in a large bowl. Sift all the dry ingredients with a pinch of salt, add to the liquid all in one go and stir to mix (it doesn’t matter if it’s lumpy).
Dip the flowers into the batter and fry one at a time until crisp but not brown. Drain on the lined tray and dust with the extra sugar. Serve at once with the dipping sauce.
delicious. tips
For best results, make sure you use the batter as soon as you’ve made it.
Elderflower, cucumber and gin granita
From delicious. magazine
Recipe and food styling Lizzie Kamenetzky
Styling Polly Webb-Wilson
Photograph Ola O Smit
This easy-to-make dessert recipe for elderflower, cucumber and gin granita makes a great grown-up sweet course for a dinner party.
Makes 10 small bowls
Takes 10 minutes to make, plus freezing
Ingredients
1 large cucumber, cut into quarters
150ml elderflower cordial (see tip)
100ml gin
500g ice cubes
Method
Freeze the cucumber pieces for about 4 hours until solid. Put in a powerful food processor or blender with the rest of the ingredients and whizz until you have a crushed granita-style ice. Serve immediately in bowls straight from the freezer.
Tip: If you have a juicy lemon in the kitchen, feel free to squeeze in the juice, or throw a shredded bunch of fresh mint into the mix – experiment with other flavours.
What is Scala Radio?
Scala Radio is a brand-new entertainment radio station that breaks the mould of classical music in the UK, fronted by presenters Simon Mayo, Angellica Bell, Mark Kermode, Chris Rogers and William Orbit. Playing familiar masters from Mozart and Holst to surprising new works from living composers like Karl Jenkins, Rebecca Dale and Thom Yorke, film scores and musicals, along with performances by bright young artists like Alexis Ffrench, Jess Gillam and Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Scala Radio is an exciting discovery of classical music for modern life.
Featuring music that may be a surprising discovery or re-discovery, championed by presenters with personalities, and showcasing classical music through the lens of modern life