Summer salad canapés with Asian-style dressing Recipe

Summer salad canapés with Asian-style dressing Recipe

  • 1 baby courgette, trimmed, julienned
  • 2 carrots, peeled, julienned
  • 3 celery stalks, trimmed, julienned
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded, julienned
  • 1 yellow pepper, deseeded, julienned
  • ½ beetroot (preferably Chioggia), peeled, julienned
  • 2 baby cucumbers, trimmed, julienned
  • 1 baby sweetcorn, julienned
  • 2 spring onions, trimmed, thinly sliced
  • few sprigs fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp demerara sugar
  • 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 500ml/18fl oz vegetable oil
  • 2-3 large courgettes, trimmed, thinly sliced using a mandoline
  • 1-2 tbsp demerara sugar
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced using a mandoline
  1. For the salad, mix together all the vegetables and herbs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
  2. For the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients with 1 tablespoon water until the sugar dissolves.
  3. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat the vegetables.
  4. Heat the oil in a heavy-based, deep-sided saucepan to 135C, or until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns golden-brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
  5. Sprinkle the courgette slices with demerara sugar and fry, in batches if necessary, for 1-2 minutes, or until golden-brown on each side. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain.
  6. Carefully lower the onion slices into the hot oil and fry for 1 minute, or until crisp and golden-brown. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain. Sprinkle with salt.
  7. To serve, top each slice of fried courgette with a teaspoonful of the dressed salad, then top the salad with a pinch of the fried onion slices.