June 2011 Daring Bakers' Challenge Baklava

This month's challenge is baklava with home made phyllo pastry (yeah!!!). A wonderful challenge and so much fun. My neighbours who had over 120 years of experience give me an enormous amount of help thank you so much.The baklava's I made are about 1 inch (2.5 cm) high since several people have asked me how tall they are.

A marvellous challenge thank you Erica for the recipes and the opportunity to make phyllo pastry.

Blog-checking lines: Erica of Erica’s Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker’s June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade dough to make Baklava.

See here for a PDF for the challenge recipe.

Spicy coconut chocolate cherry pistachio baklava


Wow what a fabulous challenge I have always wanted to make baklava because it is so delicious and more-ish. My neighbours love the start of the month since they know they will be having some of my challenge results and when I mentioned that it was baklava there was extra excitement since most of my neighbours are Greek and Turkish and they have a lot of experience with this dish. It was “decided” that I would attend a tutorial held by two of the ladies (one Greek lady 84 y.o. and one Turkish lady 80 y.o.) who have 120 years of experience in total with this recipe. This tutorial was to “pay-me-back” for all the dishes that I have provided them over the last couple of years. Well I had absolutely no choice about the situation and I didn't mind at all, and I have to admit it was wonderful fun to learn about this ancient dessert. The ladies and I had such a great time together they really enjoyed teaching me all the “tricks of the trade”.

The two ladies came to my kitchen and we started they were amazed that the Daring Bakers' recipe was (almost) the same as their recipe which was a good sign. I made up the dough the ladies advised me to use “OO” flour (i.e. pizza flour – a finely milled flour) since the resulting dough will be easier to stretch than if I had used normal all-purpose (plain) flour the dough was rested for two hours. Coincidentally the phyllo recipe is exactly the same as the strudel challenge that the Daring Bakers' did a while ago. After two hours I stretched out the dough to paper-thinness as I had done for the strudel challenge. The ladies said it was best to flour a clean sheet and stretch the dough on the sheet, this is the procedure I used for the strudel challenge and it works really well, also having the pastry on the sheet helps when you need to move the pastry from the table to the baking dish.

Then we made up the clarified butter and olive oil mixture for the phyllo pastry. The ladies insisted that clarified butter was better to use than normal butter since removing the milk solids gives a very crisp crust to the baklava. Also butter and olive oil (mostly butter and a couple of tablespoons of oil) was better than all butter since the pastry can get to a higher temperature which is important when we add the syrup.

And now to the filling I used a mixture of desiccated coconut, pistachios, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, brown sugar, cherry extract and cocoa powder with a heaped tablespoon of ras el hanout I LOVED the taste of the filling it was superb so intriguing and taste bud stimulating. The ladies were a little amused with the filling flavour profile but they said they liked it especially the coconut/cocoa/cherry and the spicy over note. Coconut, pistachios, cherry and cocoa with a hint of spice really go well together I feel.

Using scissors the phyllo was cut to suit the 9" (23 cm) circular pan that was used. Every second layer of phyllo was buttered. The construction of the finished baklava was:-
8 layers of phyllo then 1/4 of the spicy filling, then
6 layers of phyllo then 1/4 filling, then
6 layers of phyllo then 1/4 filling, then
6 layers of phyllo then 1/4 filling, and then to finish
6 layers of phyllo. The ladies said it was best to use a very light hand and just sweep the butter/oil mixture over the phyllo pastry.

The ladies suggested a baking procedure that was a little different to the challenge method – bake for 30 minutes at 390°F (200°C/gas mark 6), then for 30 minutes at 300°F (150°C/gas mark 2), then for 30 minutes at 210°F (100°C/gas mark ¼). Finally, turn the heat back up to 390°F (200°C/gas mark 6) at the end to give the top a good dark golden colour. It really worked a wonder the baklava had an amazing colour and the phyllo was extra crispy.

Then I made the syrup I'm not a big honey fan so I used golden syrup and brown sugar with lime juice (to make the syrup less sweet) and ras el hanout I ADORED this also it was so so tasty I could have this on toasted bread and be a very happy camper. Since I was using dessicated coconut I used almost twice as much syrup as stated since the coconut absorbs the extra liquid. If you use golden syrup and brown sugar the syrup will be dark and if the baklava is stored the pastry will go dark.

What was very interesting and not mentioned in the write-up of the recipe was the amazing sound that was produced when the cold syrup was poured onto the hot pastry it really sizzled and the pastry absorbed the syrup very quickly.

WOW the baklava is so moist and juicy and not that sweet which is what I wanted, it is so intriguing that the main taste was pistachio with chocolate then coconut then cherry and then a spicy lime finish yum yum.

After an overnight rest I tried a thin slice of the baklava the flavours had melded together beautifully and the texture was stunning and the cut slice looked like a layered chocolate cake! I love how the coconut holds the syrup and the baklava wasn't too sweet at all, using brown sugar, golden syrup and lime juice really helped keep the sweetness in check. When the slice was bitten into it oozed a lovely thick juice that really made the baklava a joy to eat. I sometime find baklava too sweet, too dry and has a too strong honey over tone but this was so moist, juicy and had a lovely flavour profile that was so unlike normal baklava.

If you want a light well-risen baklava with crisp separate phyllo layers, lightly butter each second or third sheet of phyllo and don't make too many cuts into the baklava and don't use too much syrup and serve after 3 or 4 hours.

If you want a dense moist baklava that cuts cleanly, heavily butter each phyllo sheet make a lot of cuts into the baklava and use the maximum amount of syrup and store before serving.

The ladies give me a 8/10 for the baklava I made and I was very very happy with that they said I lost points for the non-traditional filling (which they liked) and I didn't do the cuts that well since I used a serrated knife instead of a normal knife LOL LOL I thought this was a fair assessment <3<3<3 Their work is 10/10 so I was glad that I had done so well. They are such lovely and giving ladies. A big thank you to Eleni and Afet for your advice and for the wonderful knowledge that you shared so willingly with me. I had a great time. I'm sure that the other members of the forums will appreciate your tips and hints.

Phyllo dough


How thin should you make the phyllo – so that you can see news print through it


Coconut, pistachios, hazelnut, pumpkin, cocoa powder, brown sugar, cherry extract and cocoa powder with a heaping tablespoon of ras el hanout, this is so tasty I LOVED it


Clarified butter and olive oil used for layering the phyllo pastry, clarified butter gives a crispier result than using normal butter


The filling on the phyllo layers


The unbaked baklava


The baked baklava


I made one large circular baklava and one small test rectangular which I cut to show you the layering pattern notice how even the different layers are, this slice was cut after a couple of hours


Close up of the slice after overnight resting notice the even layers of filling and phyllo


Tips and hints
1. Use a finely milled flour like “OO” or pizza flour since this will make stretching the phyllo easier.
2. Rest the dough at room temperature for at least two hours longer is better. Oil spray and cover well with plastic wrap when storing.
3. Carefully measure the vinegar in the recipe since the acid in the vinegar softens the gluten in the flour and too much will make the dough too soft and difficult to handle.
4. When you are stretching the dough do it slowly with occasional rests if you are too quick you will tear the gluten strands thereby making holes in the phyllo. Don't worry about a few small holes that is normal.
5. Use clarified butter (ghee) this will enhance the crispiness of the final baklava. You can use a mixture of clarified butter and olive oil (mostly clarified butter with a couple of tablespoons of oil) if you wish, the ladies suggested that the butter/oil mixture helps heat up the baklava better than butter alone so the syrup really sizzles when it is poured on it.
6. Only butter the phyllo sheets lightly with the butter, use a light hand and sweep the butter over the sheet you don't need to coat all of the surface of the sheet. This will give the crispiest phyllo layers also you will achieve maximum raise to your baklava. If you heavily butter each layer the baklava will hold together better and slice more cleanly this method is recommended if you are storing the baklava for any length of time. (If you want maximum lift and separation for the phyllo just butter every second sheet this is good to do for the top-most layer of phyllo which will give you a very crisp top layer for your individual baklava pieces.)
7. Cut the phyllo sheets to the shape of the container, butter and stack the phyllo sheets outside the container and then place the stack on the nut filling in the baking dish. This is the easiest method to do the construction of the baklava this helps give even layers in the final dish. Make sure you firmly push down the phyllo sheet stack onto the filling so there are no air bubbles.
8. For special celebration baklava only slice half way down when making the cuts for the individual pieces then bake this ensures only the top parts will rise and the baklava base will have a slightly denser texture that will not fall apart when picked up with fingers. This gives a better look to the finished individual pieces when served. When the baklava is 3/4 baked you can cut all the way through.
9. Pour firstly (using a jug with a thin nozzle or similar) most of the syrup into the cuts then a little syrup on the tops of the individual pieces this technique ensures optimal flaky crisp pastry tops.
10.You can use other sweeteners apart from honey for example agave nectar, golden syrup, molasses (blackstrap or barbados), sucanat, brown rice syrup, fruit nectars, fruit juice, herbal teas, black tea, green tea and barley malt. Add spices and herbs into the cooling syrup (high temperature syrup can dull the flavours of spices and herbs).
11. Taste the syrup you can add lime/lemon juice to cut back the sweetness. It is important to add 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar or lime or lemon juice to the syrup this will stop the syrup crystallising in the baklava. Do not refrigerate the syrup if it is too cold it will crystallise inside the baklava. The more syrup you use the easier the finished baklava is to handle and cut since the syrup helps bind the layers together keeping it moist and chewy.
12. It was suggested the best baking procedure was – bake for 30 minutes at 390°F (200°C/gas mark 6), then for 30 minutes at 300°F (150°C/gas mark 2), then for 30 minutes at 210°F (100°C/gas mark ¼). Finally, turn the heat back up to 390°F (200°C/gas mark 6) at the end to give the top a good dark golden colour. It is best to use straight-sided baking trays, if the tray is dark coloured line with foil which will stop over-browning of the baklava edges. Remember to rotate the tray throughout the baking time.
13. Make sure the baklava is hot straight from the oven when you add the cooled syrup wait for the sizzle this shows the syrup is being absorbed by the pastry. The hot baklava and the room temperature syrup ensures that the phyllo sheets will be crispy in the finished dish. It will look like too much syrup but it will be absorbed over time. Pour most of the syrup into the cuts then pour the rest evenly over the tops of the pieces.
14. Let the baklava cool to room temperature (this will take a few hours) before covering for storage.

Filling Recipe
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup pistachios
1/4 cup hazel nuts
1/4 cup pumpkin nuts
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cherry extract
4 teaspoons ras el hanout (see recipe below)
1 teaspoon chilli powder

Syrup
1 cup golden syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons bottled lime juice
2 teaspoons ras el hanout

Ras el Hanout
“Ras el Hanout” ("top of the shop" ) is a spice mixture from Morocco that can contain anywhere from 10-100 different spices. There is no definitive set combination of spices that makes up Ras el hanout. Each shop, company, person have their own secret combination containing over a dozen spices. Typically they would include cardamom, clove, cinnamon, ground chilli peppers, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, peppercorn, and turmeric.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
2 teaspoons ground ginger powder
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
2 teaspoons ground fennel seeds
2 teaspoons ground mustard seeds
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons dried Damascan rose petals (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Method:
1. Mix all the spices together.
2. Store in an airtight container.

Clarified butter (or ghee as it is called in India) is very easy to make. Just melt the butter slowly. Let it sit for a bit to separate it will form three layers
1. foam on top (there is only a little of this)
2. clarified butter layer (this is thickest layer it is coloured light yellow) and
3. whey (milk solids) on the bottom ( a smallish layer of white liquid).
Skim off the foam that rises to the top, and gently pour the butter off of the milk solids, which have settled to the bottom. A stick (8 tablespoons) of butter will produce about 6 tablespoons of clarified butter.



Apricot, peach, orange and white chocolate baklava


I had to do a baklava based on apricots and peaches with white chocolate which is a classic flavour combination. I added dill and cardamom to the filling to add some flavoursome zing also I used some apricot and peach fruit leather cut to size to layer the filling since I had it to hand. If you are doing a nut free baklava it is best just to do phyllo pastry for the base and the top which I did about 12 layers each. For the syrup I used a combination of Chardonnay infused with black tea and orange marmalade with dill seeds and cardamom.

The filling of apricot and white chocolate with freshly-made citrus peel


The freshly baked baklava


The syrup poured onto the freshly baked baklava


The finished baklava


A close-up of the cut baklava, notice the layers of fruit layers


Filling
1 cup dried apricots, finely chopped
1/2 cup white chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup of freshly-made lemon and orange peel, peel boiled three times and finely chopped
apricot and peach fruit leather cut to the size of the baking tray I did three layers (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh dill tips, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cardamom seeds, toasted and ground
2 drops of rose extract OR 1/4 teaspoon rose water

Syrup
1 cup orange marmalade
1 cup hot Chardonnay infused with 2 teabags of black tea
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds, toasted and ground
1/2 teaspoon dill seeds

Macadamia Baklava with Pineapple Ginger Syrup



I love macadamia, pineapple and ginger cake so I thought would do a baklava based on this flavour profile.

This baklava is filled with macadamia nuts which have a buttery flavour and a creamy texture this is paired with tangy home-made candied pineapple and some freshly grated ginger. The syrup is made from pineapple juice, freshly grated ginger and white sugar.

I wanted to experiment with the buttering technique for the phyllo layers in this baklava since I wanted the baklava pieces to have even layers and to have a fine finish to the cut edges, I heavily buttered each phyllo sheet for the bottom layer and then for the middle layers I lightly buttered each sheet of phyllo and for the top layer I only lightly buttered every second sheet. I thought this would produce a baklava piece that could be sliced thinly and cleanly and have a slightly denser base that wouldn't fall apart when picked up to be eaten. Also I used a board and a small tin can about 1/2 pound (250 grams) to weigh down the baklava while it was resting overnight this helped keep the layers nice and tight and helped make the slicing easier.

I only cut half way through the baklava at the start of the baking process and when 3/4 baked I cut all the way through.

I made sure that I poured the syrup mostly into the cuts using a jug with a fine nozzle and used a little on top of the individual pieces.

I really liked how this baklava looked when I sliced it after it had soaked overnight. I could slice the big pieces that I had baked in the original baklava into very fine thin slices that had perfectly straight edges and a nice clean tip. Also the texture of the phyllo layers gradually changed from the bottom (most dense and moist) to the top (crisp separate layers) of the slice.

I was most pleased with the flavour profile since macadamina add a lovely base taste of butter while the pineapple and ginger add a nice zingy after-taste to the slice. Overall a good result.

As can be seen you can manipulate the texture of the baklava phyllo layers by using different buttering techniques.

Buttery and creamy macadamia nuts with home-made candied pineapple


The baked baklava


Notice the well separated layers of the phyllo on the top of the baklava


The pouring jug I used


About 10 minutes after I poured the syrup into the cuts and some on the tops


The baklava after overnight soaking


The cut baklava


Notice the difference between the different layers of phyllo




Filling
1½ cups macadamia nuts, lightly roasted and finely chopped
1/4 cup toasted rolled oats
1/4 cup candied pineapple, finely chopped
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 knob of fresh ginger, grated

Syrup
1½ cups pineapple juice
1/2 knob of fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 cup of white sugar

Jaffa Blossom Baklava


I wanted to make a baklava that consisted of individual pieces where the filling is exposed. The pieces are easy to make, take 1½ tablespoons of Jaffa filling place onto a square of stacked phyllo sheet and fold the phyllo around the filling. The filling is cocoa powder/crystallised orange peel, I adore orange and chocolate (this combination is called Jaffa in Australia) I really like how this worked out, the individual pieces are delicious I like the ratio of crisp phyllo to filling, I used about a dozen layers for the stacked phyllo. The syrup was golden syrup, brown sugar, orange juice and orange blossom water.

Unbaked baklava


Baked baklava


I cut through a piece of the baklava so you can see the ratio of filling to phyllo

June 2011 Daring Cooks' Challenge Potato Salad

This month's challenge was healthy potato salad also if we wanted we could enter our potato salad into a competition held by the U.S. Potato Board.

Jami Sorrento was our June Daring Cooks hostess and she chose to challenge us to celebrate the humble spud by making a delicious and healthy potato salad. The Daring Cooks Potato Salad Challenge was sponsored by the nice people at the United States Potato Board, who awarded prizes to the top 3 most creative and healthy potato salads. A medium-size (5.3 ounce) potato has 110 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and includes nearly half your daily value of vitamin C and has more potassium than a banana!

Faux Gras Bleu Fromage Potato Salad
Faux Full Fat Blue Cheese Potato Salad


I will share with you one of my favourite potato salads – I have experimented, tweaked and thoroughly researched this recipe over nine years to obtain (I think) the ultimate light and healthy yet unctuously delicious potato salad.

This toothsome potato salad is dressed with a lusciously tangy and deep flavoured Roquefort-like (blue) cheese dressing that is amazingly made from only non-fat yoghurt, light sour cream, crumbled cottage cheese, roasted garlic paste and a few herbs and spices – astonishingly these few ingredients when combined with bite-sized coloured potato pieces that have been oven roasted with a small amount of ghee (clarified butter) or olive oil, grainy mustard and sea salt crystals – produce a final dish that has all the mouth feel (tactile properties), taste (gustatorial sensations) and satiety (full belly feeling) of a high fat Roquefort (blue) cheese dressed potato salad!

Roquefort cheese is known as the “King of cheese” it is a ewe's milk blue cheese with a magnificent tingly pungent taste. The cheese is white, tangy, crumbly and slightly moist, with distinctive veins of green mould. It has a characteristic odour and flavour with a notable taste of butyric acid. Roquefort has the highest level of glutamates (feel good chemicals) of any naturally produced food. The overall flavour sensation of Roquefort cheese begins slightly mild, then waxes sweet, then smoky, and fades to a salty finish. These tastes and textures are replicated in this recipe by using synergistic ingredients that work together (because they have the same flavour components and mouth feel as blue cheese) to create a near perfect faux Roquefort dressing, these ingredients are; roasted garlic (for its tingle and deep mellow flavour base which waxes sweet then smoky), grainy mustard (for its vinegar tang and its grainy texture), non-fat yoghurt (which has the same base flavour components as Roquefort cheese and is rich in butyric acid the major flavour sensation in blue cheese), light sour cream (for its tang and mouth feel), cottage cheese (for its crumbly texture and it is rich in butyric acid), ghee (rich in butyric acid and its buttery taste) or olive oil (has a many of the same taste sensations as blue cheese), sea salt crystals which add lovely salty flavour bursts like Roquefort cheese, chopped spinach and parsley (for their green colour and they are a rich source of glutamates), chopped mint which contains a number of the same flavour components as blue cheese, a small amount of optional Scotch Whiskey (which contains a lot of the same olfactory components as Roquefort) which greatly enhances the flavour profile of the blue cheese taste sensation, some optional chopped roasted walnuts (or walnut oil) which are a rich source of glutamates and the oils in these nuts contain a lot of the same taste sensations as Roquefort which greatly enhances the blue cheese flavour of the finished dish and finally some optional creamy cow's milk blue cheese to intensify the overall flavour profile of the final dish.

Don't worry roasted garlic has a very mellow 'earthy' flavour that is totally different from raw harsh garlic.

I have served this a large number of times at parties and BBQs while watching TV sports with spicy hot buffalo (chicken) wings (since the wings can be made in the same oven because they need to be baked at the same temperature and time as the potatoes and garlic) it always receives rave reviews so no need to have a high-fat blue cheese dip or an unhealthy potato salad.

Some of the potato salad ingredients – I adore the blue potatoes they look so pretty



The process of roasting the whole garlic head and making the garlic paste





The coloured potato pieces oven roasted with ghee and grainy mustard


Finished Faux Gras Bleu Fromage Potato Salad – garnished with chopped roasted red bell pepper (capsicum) and finely chopped garlic chives


Faux Gras Bleu Fromage Potato Salad
Faux Full Fat Blue Cheese Potato Salad
Serves eight
A colourful and scrumptious potato that is dressed in a light and healthy Roquefort-like dressing, this salad is low in fat and salt but high in essential nutrients that lifts the spirit and nourishes the body.

Roasting Ingredients
3 lbs (1⅓ kg) small or medium potatoes, washed, scrubbed and cut into quarters (if small) or eighths (if medium), an equal ratio of white-fleshed, blue-fleshed and golden-fleshed potato is best, try to use at least two different types of potatoes if possible, you can use some orange-fleshed sweet potato or carrot if desired
3 large whole heads of garlic (about 3oz/85gm each), organic & unbleached, (cannot be substituted)
1 medium red bell pepper (capsicum), if not using blue-fleshed potatoes, optional otherwise
1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) OR olive oil (cannot be substituted)
1 tablespoon grainy mustard (cannot be substituted)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt crystals OR 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt (cannot be substituted)
Optional 1½ teaspoons of Scotch Whiskey (cannot be substituted this really adds to the blue cheese flavour)
Oil spray
Dressing Ingredients
1/2 cup cottage cheese, finely crumbled (cannot be substituted)
1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek (natural set) yoghurt (cannot be substituted)
1/4 cup plain low-fat sour cream (cannot be substituted)
Optional 1 tablespoon creamy cow's milk blue cheese (any sort of blue cheese is fine)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh spinach leaves (cannot be substituted do not use frozen spinach)
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (cannot be substituted)
1/4 cup finely chopped mint or spearmint (cannot be substituted)
1/4 cup finely chopped garlic chives OR green (spring) onions
1/2 teaspoon sea salt crystals OR 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt (cannot be substituted)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Optional 8 walnuts, roasted and finely chopped OR 2 teaspoons walnut oil (cannot be substituted)

Alternative Suggested Garnishing ingredients
Chose a couple of these ingredients to garnish your finished potato salad. The marked (*) garnish ingredients have common flavour components with Roquefort cheese. I like black olives, cherry tomatoes, blue cheese and chives mainly for colour and mouth feel. For a special treat try toasted coconut flakes as a garnish it is fabulous. And fried Porcino mushrooms are sublime since they have almost the same flavour profile as Roquefort.
*1/4 cup of sliced baked black or green olives
1/4 cup of cherry tomatoes, quartered
*1/4 cup fresh Porcino mushrooms, fried in a little olive oil (excellent with this salad)
*2 tablespoons toasted coconut flakes (surprisingly good with this salad)
*2 tablespoons turkey bacon, crisped and broken into small pieces
2 tablespoons finely chopped spinach OR chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped roasted red bell pepper (capsicum)
*2 tablespoons firm blue cheese, crumbled
*3 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled (try to get low salt and low fat if possible)
*2 tablespoons toasted bread crumbs or toasted croutons
*16 Pecan nuts roasted and chopped

You can have this potato salad at room temperature or hot (best with spicy chicken wings), I will start with the room temperature method first.
Method for room temperature salad
1. Preheat oven to hot 450°F/230°C/gas mark 8. Cover two shallow baking trays with foil and lightly oil spray.
2. Place the potatoes into a large bowl and coat with the oil and mustard (and the whiskey if using).
3. Cut the base off the garlic heads, leave on the papery casing, coat the cut-side with oil spray.
4. Place the potatoes and the garlic heads cut-side down in one layer over the two prepared baking trays. Sprinkle the potatoes with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt crystals.
5. Place into hot oven and bake (rotating the trays half way through) for 30-35 minutes or until a knife easily pierces one of the larger potato pieces you want to just roast them to a golden brown and tender, not crispy. Place the potatoes into a large bowl set aside to cool.
6. If using the red bell pepper (capsicum) cut into wide strips removing seeds and the white membrane spray lightly with oil. Place the strips under a broiler (grill) until the skins completely blacken. Place the strips into a small bowl covered with plastic wrap and a clean tea towel for 10 minutes remove blackened skin and chop finely.
7. Squeeze out the garlic from the roasted garlic head into a medium bowl mash with a fork until smooth. Add the yoghurt, sour cream, crumbled cottage cheese, creamy blue cheese if using, the chopped herbs and ground pepper – mix to just combine. If too thick you can thin it with some non-fat (skim) milk. Think pouring cream consistency.
8. Dress the cooled potatoes with the sour cream/roasted garlic/herb mixture (and the chopped red bell pepper (capsicum) and/or the chopped walnuts or walnut oil if using). Sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon sea salt.
9. Garnish as desired using the optional garnishing ingredients
10. Best served at room temperature or warm slightly in a microwave.

Alternate Method for hot salad
If you wish you can have the potato salad hot; bake the potatoes and garlic as above, prepare the dressing and garnishes as above (keep the potatoes hot while preparing these), then dress and garnish the still hot potatoes, serve immediately. Avoid leftovers since the dressing is absorbed (over time) into the hot potatoes making the salad less creamy and tasty.



Thank you Jami for the fantastic challenge this will be so much fun seeing all the different potato salads from around the world. I have a couple of special Aussie potato salads coming soon. I have a large number of potato salad recipes on file and I'm just deciding which ones to do after the Aussie versions.

Indian Spiced Potato Salad


This is a gorgeously colourful fingerling potato salad that can be served hot, at room temperature or cold. The recipe is based on the famous Indian curry called aloo matar (potato and pea curry). The dressing is a very mild sweet curry with no heat that colours the potatoes an exquisite ochre yellow, vibrant minted peas are added for flavour and colour and a garnish of dark purple beet(root) crisps add a wondrous deep earthy taste to the final dish. A grand amalgam of exotic tastes from the Indian subcontinent.


Indian Spiced Potato Salad
Serves eight
Ingredients
3 lbs (1⅓ kgs) “fingerling” potatoes, washed and scrubbed
2 tablespoons sweet curry powder
2 tablespoons olive oil or ghee (clarified butter)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 medium onion, minced
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup water
1/2 tablespoon mild vinegar
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1½ cups frozen minted baby peas, if using plain frozen peas add 1 tablespoon of finely chopped mint
1/4 cup beet(root) crisps, about 12 large crisps, crumbled
1/4 carrot, finely grated, optional garnish
Method
1. Microwave the fingerling potatoes in one layer (in batches if needed) on high for 5 minutes until fork tender. Peel and chop into bite sized pieces. Set aside and keep hot.
2. Heat the oil (or ghee) in a saucepan, add the mustard seeds fry until they start to pop about 1 minute. Add the minced onion and fry until translucent about 3 minutes. Add the curry powder, garam masala, ginger powder and garlic powder stir to coat onions and fry until aromatic about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste fry for about 3 minutes.
3. Add the water, vinegar and sugar, simmer until you obtain a paste the consistency of thin pouring cream (add more water as needed) about 3 minutes. Check for the balance of sweet/sour add a little more vinegar or sugar as needed, the paste should be mildly sweet with a spice over note.
4. Microwave the peas on high for 1 minute until bright green and hot throughout. Do not overcook.
5. Dress the hot potatoes and 3/4 of the peas with the curry paste, the potatoes will absorb the paste.
6. Garnish with the remaining peas and the crumbled beet(root) crisps. And if desired some finely grated carrot.
7. Serve hot, at room temperature or cold.

Chic Potato Salad


A quick, easy and inexpensive recipe that yields a very elegant and sophisticated tasting potato salad that uses a most unusual dressing made from balsamic vinegar and strawberry conserve (a classic flavour combination) which piques the taste buds. The dressing is complimented with crisp turkey bacon pieces, mint, chives and sea salt. This potato salad has a lovely lingering after-taste that excites and stimulates the palate to want more and more. It has a refined air to it as if you had to tweak a couple of dozen ingredients and flavours to achieve the final balance of tastes, with each bite you encounter a new olfactory combination of the individual ingredients that is in this salad there is a tightly controlled gustorial oscillation between sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savoury that is just chic. If you use white balsamic vinegar the final salad has a lovely pink hue that is so pretty, the white version would be a great potato salad to serve at a romantic Valentines dinner.

The unusual dressing ingredients


The potato salad made with black balsamic vinegar


The potato salad made with white balsamic vinegar


Chic Potato Salad
Serves eight
Ingredients
3 lbs (1⅓ kg) fingerling potatoes, white-fleshed, washed and scrubbed
10 strips of turkey bacon, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped mint
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
2½ tablespoons strawberry conserve, about 50% berry content
2½ tablespoons black balsamic vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
2½ tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt crystals OR 1/4 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
Method
1. Microwave the whole fingerling potatoes (in batches if needed) on high for 5 minutes until fork tender. Peel and cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside and keep hot.
2. In a small bowl mix the strawberry conserve and the balsamic vinegar, slowly add the olive oil while whisking vigorously until combined (or use a blender if desired). Check for the balance of sweet/sour add a little more conserve or vinegar as needed, you are looking for a slight strawberry after-taste.
3. Starting in a large cold saucepan, fry the turkey bacon pieces until crisp.
4. Add the potato pieces to the saucepan stir to coat evenly with the bacon pieces.
5. Add the dressing coat gently. Wait for the dressing to be absorbed and cool.
6. Add the chopped herbs, sprinkle with the salt crystals and serve.



Tête à Tête Tea Potato Salads
These potato salads are delightful to have in those moments when you want a cup of tea and an intimate tête à tête with a friend. Their zingy flavour profiles based on black tea, fruit and herbs will help stimulate the palate and tongue to create the perfect environment for a wonderful conversation.

Science has shown that the flavour sensation of "potato" can be reproduced with a mixture of black tea, pickled cucumber juice, mustard, honey and butter this fact is used to obtain a strong harmonious flavour base to these potato salad. This base flavour is then enlivened with various fruits and herbs to produce two entirely different tea potato salads.




Mango tarragon tête à tête tea potato salad
For a light breezy conversation try this potato salad. Black tea compliments the mango. mustard and honey while the tarragon gives a zingy anise kick.

Ingredients
2 lbs (1 kg) fingerling potatoes, washed and scrubbed
Dressing
3 bags of strong black tea, steeped in 2 tablespoons hot water for 5 minutes
1/2 cup mango juice (with no added sugar)
1/2 cup mango, cubed
1 tablespoon pickled cucumber juice
1-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, made from white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons chopped tarragon leaves and 6 tarragon flowers
Sprinkle of sea salt
If needed 1/2 teaspoon of potato starch (do not use cornstarch) cooked in 1/4 cup of boiling water until a thick clear paste is formed
Method
1. Microwave the finger potatoes (in batches if needed) on high for 5 minutes until fork tender. Peel and cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside and keep hot.
2. Combine in a small bowl the tea, mango nectar, cubed mango, cucumber juice, and honey.
3. Add mustard in teaspoon amounts until you obtain a good balance between sweet and tangy. If the dressing is too thin add the potato starch paste until the consistency is of pouring cream.
4. Add dressing to the hot potatoes wait for the dressing to be absorbed and cool.
5. Garnish with the chopped herbs, herb flowers and a sprinkle of sea salt.
6. Serve with cucumber sandwiches

Pomegranate sage tête à tête tea potato salad
For a heavy and deep conversation try this potato salad it has a vibrant colour with a deep mellow flavour base. Pomegranate with tomato and potato is a classic flavour combination which is combined with crisp butter fried sage leaves to produce a thought provoking recipe.

Ingredients
2 lbs (1 kg) fingerling potatoes, washed and scrubbed
Dressing
3 bags of strong black tea, steeped in 2 tablespoons hot water for 5 minutes
1½ tablespoons tomato paste, fried in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until the oil becomes bright red
1/2 cup pomegranate juice (with no added sugar)
1/2 cup of pomegranate arils (seeds)
1 tablespoon pickled cucumber juice
1-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, made from white wine vinegar
2 tablespoon honey
12 sprigs of sage leaves fried in 1 tablespoon of butter until crispy
Sprinkle of sea salt
If needed 1/2 teaspoon of potato starch (do not use cornstarch) cooked in 1/4 cup of boiling water until a thick clear paste is formed
Method
1. Microwave the finger potatoes (in batches if needed) on high for 5 minutes until fork tender. Peel and cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside and keep hot.
2. Combine in a small bowl the tea, fried tomato paste, pomegranate juice, pomegranate arils, cucumber juice, and honey.
3. Add mustard in teaspoon amounts until you obtain a good balance between sweet and tangy. If the dressing is too thin add the potato starch paste until the consistency is of pouring cream.
4. Add dressing to the hot potatoes wait for the dressing to be absorbed and cool.
5. Garnish with the crispy sage leaves, the butter and a sprinkle of sea salt.
6. Serve with rye sour dough grilled beef sandwiches.

Beet(root) coconut lime potato salad


The usual reason to add high fat dressings (like mayonnaise and sour cream) to potato salad is make the finished dish as creamy as possible but there is a traditional method to cook potatoes that obtains a heavenly creamy and smooth interior texture – this technique is called brine boiling (also called salt potatoes or wrinkly potatoes). Brine (a mixture of salt and water) has a much higher boiling point temperature than normal water, this higher cooking temperature results in potatoes that are sublimely creamy, evenly cooked and smooth textured this is because the starch in the potatoes cooks more completely. As the potatoes cook, the salty water forms a crust on the skin and seals the potatoes so they never taste water-logged like ordinary boiled potatoes often do. The potatoes have a unique texture closer to fluffy baked potatoes, only creamier. The whole potatoes (that is with the skins on) do not absorb the brine so you will find that you might need to add extra salt to the final dish! So don't be afraid of the amount of salt used in the brine. Salt potatoes keep well in the refrigerator and are excellent if sliced thinly and fried for breakfast. The cooked salt potatoes have a wrinkled skin and are coated in a very very thin layer of fine salt (about 1/4 teaspoon per pound of potatoes). It is intriguing that using this boiling technique you get something very similar to baked potato. Also your guests will wonder how you got such a thin even layer of fine salt crystals on the skins.

These totally exquisite salt potatoes are dressed in a luscious and delectable beet(root), coconut and lime dressing which results in a salad that is smooth, creamy, “almost like a mousse” as a friend mentioned when tasting it, with a huge depth of flavour because the dressing is absorbed into the potatoes which results in a salad that has the flavour profile in the potato flesh itself.

The cooked salt potatoes, the boiling point of the brine was 230°F (110°C) as compared to the normal boiling point of water 212°F (100°C)


Close-up of a salt potato notice the fine layer of salt on the skin, don't worry it is very very thin and only adds a tiny amount of salt to the final recipe (about 1/4 teaspoon per pound of potatoes), you can remove the skin if you desire. The brine is not absorbed into the potato.


Notice how evenly cooked the salt potato is and the lovely creamy texture it has


The beet(root) coconut and lime dressing it is so luscious and its colour is neon bright


Notice how the salt potato has absorbed the dressing throughout its flesh this results in a very toothsome potato salad


Brine boiled potatoes
Ingredients
For each 4 cups (1 litre) of room temperature water use 1 cup of sea salt (or kosher salt or rock salt), do not use table salt since it has anti-caking additives that inhibits the action of the salt. Do not use salt with added iodine. If you can find table salt without additives then use half the amount of salt.
3 lbs (1 1/3 kg) small whole evenly-sized new potatoes, DO NOT remove skins and DO NOT cut the potatoes
Method
Wash and scrub the potatoes, DO NOT remove skins and DO NOT cut the potatoes. Add the salt to the water add the potatoes cover the liquid with parchment paper cut to size. Heat till boiling, cover with lid and boil gently for 20-25 minutes until fork tender. Remove the cooked potatoes with tongs from the brine, let cool on a rack until a thin salt layer forms about 3-5 minutes remove skins if desired. Don't worry there is only a tiny amount of salt (about 1/4 teaspoon per pound of potatoes) on the wrinkled potato skins. Most people just add some butter and a small amount of chopped parsley or dill to the salt potatoes they are totally delicious.

Beet(root), coconut and lime potato salad
Ingredients
3 lbs (1 1/3 kg) cooked and cubed salt potatoes, (with or without skins) still hot
1 roasted large beet(root), chopped roughly, you can use canned or vacuum-packed beet(root), do not used pickled beet(root) or beet(root) canned in vinegar and sugar
3/4 cup light coconut cream OR 3/4 cup coconut milk, maybe a little more
juice of 2 limes OR 3 tablespoons of bottled lime juice
zest of 2 limes, finely chopped, if not using zest add a little more lime juice 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee OR 1 tablespoon kecap manis sauce, optional, this adds a lovely savoury note use this if serving the salad with roasted or grilled meat dishes
4 Kaffir lime leaves, stem removed finely chopped, optional but really nice if you can use it
1/4 cup chives, finely chopped
1/4 cup mint, finely chopped
sea salt and pepper to taste
Method
In a blender add the beet(root), light coconut cream (or coconut milk), lime juice and paprika (and the optional instant coffee or kecap manis) pulse until smooth. Taste to check balance of beet(root) and coconut by adding extra lime juice as needed. If too thick add more coconut milk.
Add dressing to the hot potatoes wait for the dressing to be absorbed. Taste to check seasoning add salt and pepper as needed
Garnish with the chopped lime zest, Kaffir lime leaves, chives and mint.
Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
Serves eight.
You can replace some of the coconut milk with smooth goat's cheese (about 2 tablespoons) this version is excellent with strong game meat dishes.



Caramelised asparagus onions with honeyed mustard bacon potato salad


This marvellous hot salad uses tiny new potatoes and a rich slow-cooked dressing made with caramelised onion, asparagus, honey and mustard. The slowly cooked onion, garlic, asparagus and turkey bacon 'melt' into a lovely buttery sauce that is intensely flavoured and coloured. I have used canned potatoes on several occasions for this recipe they work very well.



Caramelised asparagus onions with honeyed mustard bacon potato salad
Ingredients
3 lbs (1⅓ kg) tiny new potatoes, (about ½-1oz each), washed and scrubbed
2 lbs (900 gm) sweet white onions, (about 8 medium), finely chopped
1 head of garlic, finely chopped
12 strips turkey bacon, (low-fat and low-salt), finely chopped
1 tablespoon oil, (may need more)
1 bunch asparagus (about 12 spears), sliced thinly, reserve the tips for garnishing
3 tablespoons dark honey
3 tablespoons grainy mustard
pomegranate arils (seeds), from one piece of fruit for garnishing
½ teaspoon sea salt
Method
Starting with a large cold heavy skillet fry on a low heat and gently stirring occasionally the potatoes, onions, garlic, oil, bacon, and chopped asparagus for about 50 minutes, until the onions are caramelised and the potatoes are browned. Add the honey and grainy mustard cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened and aromatic. Cut the asparagus tips in half lengthwise, add and cook for 2 minutes until bright green. Serve immediately garnish with the pomegranate arils and sprinkle with sea salt. Serves twelve. (You can also do the recipe in the oven. Start in a cold oven add the first 6 ingredients to a lightly oiled baking tray and raise the temperature to slow 300C/150C/gas 2 and bake for about one hour. Add the mustard and honey stir and bake for about 3 minutes, serve and garnish. )