THE NEXT ELEMENT
By Andy Allen
New Holland Publishers
Price: NZ$59.99
Hardback
Andy
Allen started out with a basic philosophy about food – keep it simple, but not predictable.
However, as Andy’s knowledge and experience has grown he’s begun to create new
and exciting flavour combinations.
In The Next Element we see a natural
progression from where it all began to where Andy is now with sections of his
book broken into:
•
Cooking for the Family – with dishes including favourites such as
slow braised beef casserole and rosemary baked hand cut chips that are sure to
delight!
•
Cooking for my Friends - where you find the creative share food recipes and
Mexican dishes that are extremely easy to follow and will be a hit at any
event.
• A
New Direction – which includes some of the MasterChef recipes that captured the
imagination of the viewers, including the dish that floored guest judge John
Torode, Andy’s exciting braised beef shin, pomme puree with bone marrow and
vegetables.
Probably
best said by fellow MasterChef contestant Ben, who contributes to this release
with an array of Mexican dishes; “Andy
has a unique way of looking at food. Not bound by tradition or culture, he is
able to push the boundaries because he is unaware of them, and most importantly
this means there is only ever one thing on his mind – flavour!”
About the author
After
somehow defying the odds and winning the title of MasterChef 2012, Andy Allen
was suddenly faced with tackling the swift transition from his previous career
as an electrician to becoming a household name. Andy taught himself to cook
through hours spent watching the Food Channel but most of his earliest food
memories involve fishing with his family and cooking up the catch!
The Next Element reflects the experience
Andy had with the MasterChef competition and the journey he is about to embark
upon with food. He believes he has come a long way in a short period of time
and it is this which makes him all the more excited about the adventure.
I have selkected two recipes from the book which the publishers have kindly given me permission to share with you. I can warmly recommend both.
Seared Scallops with Corn
Puree & Currant Vinaigrette
Serves 4
4 fresh corn cobs
¼ head cauliflower
500ml chicken stock
1 tsp shallots, finely diced
juice of 1 lemon
1¼ tbs currants
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs butter
1 tbs cream
16 scallops
salt
and pepper to taste
Slice
kernels from the corn cobs. Cut the cauliflower into mini florets. (You will
need around
6-8
per serve).
In
a pan, bring the chicken stock to the boil. Cook the corn kernels in the stock
for 10 minutes.
Strain
the corn and reserve the stock.
Bring
a separate pan of water to the boil. Add a pinch of salt and blanch the
cauliflower for
1
minute. Drain and set aside at room temperature.
Make
the vinaigrette by mixing the shallots, lemon juice and currants together. Set
aside.
Before
serving, whisk in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Place
the corn in a blender with 1½ tablespoons of the reserved stock, the butter and the
cream.
Puree. Pass the corn puree through a fine sieve.
Drizzle
the remaining oil over the scallops. Heat a frying pan to a high heat, add the
scallops and cook each side for 30 seconds until scallops are browned and
caramelised, being careful not to overcook them.
To
serve, smear each plate with the corn puree. Top with the scallops and
cauliflower florets.
Spoon over the vinaigrette and season to
taste.
Chicharron
Guacamole
Serves 4
2 avocados, diced
1 tbs green chilli, diced
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp salt flakes
¼ red onion, finely diced
2 tbs coriander leaves, chopped
1 large tomato, deseeded and diced
1 cup of crumbled pork chicharron (pork scratching/crackling)
100g
corn chips
Place
the avocados, chilli, lime juice, salt and onion in a bowl and roughly mash
together. Stir in the coriander leaves, tomato and chicharron. Serve with corn
chips.
Extracted with permission from The Next Element by
Andy Allen, published by New Holland, RRP $59.99
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