PEA PANCAKES WITH CRISP PANCETTA & SWEET CHILLI SAUCE

A delicious and easy to make recipe. It looks fantastic when served in single entrée plates or as a side dish, with the sour cream and the chilli sauce served in separate bowls. I have put two recipes to make your own chilli sauce at the end of this recipe, but it is equally good when served with a good bought sweet chilli jam. Truly enjoyable!

Ingredients  
1 cup (160g) fresh, podded or (120g) frozen peas
3 eggs
250 g fresh ricotta, drained
½ cup (35g) plain flour
1 tbsp olive oil plus extra for frying
4 spring onions, finely chopped
8 slices round pancetta or streaky bacon

To serve

Sweet chilli sauce (see below)

Sour cream

pea tendrils or watercress sprigs

Instructions
Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil, salt the water and blanch peas for 5 minutes if fresh, or 2 minutes if frozen. Drain and refresh under cold water. 
Place eggs, ricotta, flour and oil in a food processor. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then process until smooth. Transfer to a big bowl and stir in the peas and spring onion (add a little cold water if the batter is too thick, it should be the consistency of pancake batter).  

Set aside for 30 minutes. 
Meanwhile pre-heat the grill to high. Place the pancetta on a baking tray and grill until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towel and keep warm.

Heat a little oil in a non-stick frypan over medium-high heat. Add generous tablespoon of batter to the frypan, in batches, and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden underneath, then flip and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. 

Keep warm and repeat with remaining batter.

Layer pancakes and pancetta on a serving plate and serve with sweet chilli sauce, sour cream and pea tendrils.

Serves 4

Dinner party

Pea pancakes with crisp pancetta and sweet chilli sauce and Saffron chicken & herb salad

To make the sweet chilli sauce

Place 10 chopped long red chillies, 2 cups (500ml) rice vinegar, 1 1/2 cups (330g) caster sugar, 4 chopped garlic cloves and 1 Tbsp sea salt in a blender and blend to a paste.

Transfer to a saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil, then cook for 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes until thickened.

Store in a sterilised jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Makes 2 cups.

Tomato and Chilli Jam - Thermomix

Seared sea scallops with tomato & chilli jam and Asian slaw

Ingredients

500 g plum tomatoes, quartered

20 g fresh root ginger, peeled, cut in round slices (2 mm)

20 g grapeseed oil

40 g fresh red chillies, deseeded and cut in pieces (2 cm) OR 25 g chilli from jar

5 garlic cloves

50 g white wine vinegar

100 g sugar

1 tsp fine sea salt

2 Tbsp lime juice

Preparation steps

Place tomatoes, ginger, oil, chillies and garlic in mixing bowl then chop 10 sec/speed 7.

Add vinegar, lime juice, sugar and salt then, with simmering basket in place of measuring cup, cook 30 min/Varoma/speed 3. Towards the end of this time, preheat oven to 160°C and place jars and lids in oven to sterilise for approx. 10 minutes.

Remove simmering basket and insert measuring cup then purée 1 min/speed 5-9, increasing speed gradually.

Transfer to warm glass jars with screw-top lids (see tip), leaving approx. 5 mm gap at the top. Make sure that rims of jars are clean and close immediately.

Hints & Tips

When filling the jar, make sure both the jar and the jam are hot to prevent cracking.

To prepare jars, place 500 g water in mixing bowl. Place jars and lids upside down in the centre of the Varoma and steam 20 min/Varoma/speed 1. Leave to drain - do not dry or touch the inside surfaces. Alternatively, thoroughly wash jars and lids in hot, soapy water. Rinse by pouring over boiling water. Prepare for filling, if needed, by placing on a clean tea towel in a roasting tin and heating in the oven at 100˚C until required.

Serve with a cheese board, cold meats or even add to sauces for extra spice.

Squid with chilli lime salt & tomato & chilli jam