Inspiring creativity and imagination

If you ask chefs what the most enjoyable part of their job is, most will say experimenting with new ingredients and flavours. So when we gave the chefs competing in this year’s Craft Guild of Chefs’ Graduate Awards the opportunity to create a starter using Quorn®, their creativity and imagination were put to the test.
The move was part of our chef engagement plan as we continue to support protein diversity, a key challenge for chefs of the future. For many of the chefs taking part, it was their first time cooking with Quorn.

Lewis Kuciers, joint head chef, The Black Bull Blidworth, said: “I’d never cooked with Quorn before so I was intrigued. Initially I struggled with what to do, but once I’d tried a few different things, I was pleasantly surprised with the dish I ended up with: Quorn bhaji Scotch eggs with a cumin yoghurt and pickle.”

Joe Payne, chef de partie, Restaurant Andre Garrett, Cliveden House, said: “I hadn’t really cooked with Quorn before. The Quorn pieces took on flavour well and were very easy to use, lending themselves to the Asian theme of my dish: coconut, chilli and lime Quorn, toasted rice foam, puffed wild rice and coriander.”

Chair of examiners and head chef of Colette’s at The Grove, Russell Bateman, said: “For young chefs, the price and availability of good quality meat is going to pose a real challenge when they’re running their own kitchens 10 to 15 years from now. If we can get them thinking about protein diversity now, we’re equipping them with the tools they need to cook sustainably, without sacrificing on quality or flavour.”

In 2018 Quorn will be engaging with more chefs, from culinary students right through to established industry leaders, to encourage discussion around protein diversity and get more chefs cooking with Quorn.

Lewis Kuciers, Joint Head Chef, The Black Bull Blidworth. Recipe for Quorn bhaji Scotch eggs with a cumin yoghurt and pickle

Ingredients:

• 100g Quorn Mince
• 200g gram flour
• 100g corn flour
• Curry powder
• Turmeric
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Ginger
• 100g slices salted onions
• Nigella seeds
• Quail eggs

Method:

1. Boil the quail eggs for 2 minutes and refresh in ice water, then peel once cooled
2. Get equal amounts of the spice and make into a mix, mix through with both the flours and a tablespoon of nigella seeds/salt to taste and add water to a thick paste, once made to a thick paste fold through the onions and Quorn
3. Roll the quail eggs in left over spice mix then coat the bhaji mix fully around the egg and deep fry for 4 minutes

For the salsa:

• Sliced banana shallot
• Tomato
• Cucumber
• Mint
• Lime zest

Method:

1. Compress the sliced shallots in sugar and lemon juice in a vac-pac machine
2. Do the same with the cucumber but just salt
3. Blanch the tomatoes in hot water then refresh, remove the skin then dry, remove seeds and cut to a small dice (concasse)
4. Combine all these together and add finely chopped mint and lime zest

For the yoghurt:

• Natural yoghurt
• Cumin

Method:

• Hang the yoghurt for 3 hours+ so all the water drains out to make it thicker
• Add cumin to taste and decant into a piping bag for service

Joe Payne, Andre Garrett Restaurant Cliveden House Recipe for Coconut chilli and lime Quorn, toasted rice foam, puffed wild rice and coriander

Ingredients:

• 150g Quorn Pieces
• 1/2 one white onion- fine brunoise
• 1 red chilli - fine brunoise
• 2 sticks lemongrass
• 3 Kaffir lime leaves
• 1/2 kohlrabi - 3mm dice
• 100ml coconut milk
• 1 lime
• Soy sauce 4tbsp
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Sweat onion and chilli in oil till soft
2. Add Quorn pieces till lightly coloured, and soy, lemongrass and Kaffir lime leaves
3. Allow to reduce for 5 minutes on a low heat
4. Add coconut milk and leave on a low heat for 15 minutes to infuse and thicken
5. Add kohlrabi and cook for 1 minute to keep kohlrabi crunchy
6. Finish with fresh lime juice to taste

For the rice foam

• 100g basmati rice
• 1 litre double cream
• 1/2 Bunch Thai basil

Method:

1. Toast rice in the oven till golden brown (about 15 minutes on 180 degrees)
2. Roughly tear the Thai basil and add to the cream and slowly bring up to a boil
3. Add the toasted rice and allow to infuse for half an hour
4. Strain the cream and plaice in an izzy gun with two charges

For the puffed wild rice

• 50g wild rice
• 500ml veg oil

Method:

1. Heat the oil to 200 degrees, add the wild rice, this will instantly puff
2. Strain from the oil immediately and place on a cloth and allow it to dry
3. Place the Quorn mix in the bottom of your bowl, add the rice foam on top and garnish with puffed wild rice, coriander cress and small leaves of Thai basil