Name: Yoghurt curd with raw and grilled vegetables
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 350 gm plain yoghurt; 50 ml dry apple cider (2½ tbsp); 2 baby cucumbers; 1/2 small white onion; 1 ripe fig, halved; 1 tbsp macadamia oil; 1 tbsp chardonnay vinegar; 2 Dutch carrots, scrubbed, trimmed and sliced into ribbons on a mandolin; 2 small radishes, scrubbed, trimmed and thinly sliced on a mandolin; 1/2 small zucchini, sliced into ribbons on a mandolin; 2 tsp podded peas; 2 tbsp of different herbs and herb flowers, such as, basil, rocket, rocket flowers, garlic flowers, lemon balm

Yoghurt curd with raw and grilled vegetables

Recipe by Ben Devlin from Cabarita restaurant Paper Daisy | Gourmet Traveller

Serves 4

Prep

15M

Ingredients

350 gm plain yoghurt

50 ml dry apple cider (2½ tbsp)

2 baby cucumbers

1/2 small white onion

1 ripe fig, halved

1 tbsp macadamia oil

1 tbsp chardonnay vinegar

2 Dutch carrots, scrubbed, trimmed and sliced into ribbons on a mandolin

2 small radishes, scrubbed, trimmed and thinly sliced on a mandolin

1/2 small zucchini, sliced into ribbons on a mandolin

2 tsp podded peas

2 tbsp of different herbs and herb flowers, such as, basil, rocket, rocket flowers, garlic flowers, lemon balm

Method

Main

1.Place yoghurt in a double layer of muslin, gather into a bundle, tie with string and hang in the refrigerator over a bowl to drain for 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, stir in cider vinegar and refrigerate until required.

2.Heat a char-grill pan to high. Grill cucumber without turning, and onion and fig cut-sides down until well charred (4-6 minutes for cucumber and onion; 3-4 minutes for fig). Combine cucumber in a container with macadamia oil and chardonnay vinegar, cover and set aside to steam and cool (5 minutes). Separate onion layers and cut the fig into 2cm-3cm chunks. Remove cucumber from vinegar mixture (reserve) and thinly slice.

3.Place carrot, radish and zucchini in a bowl of iced water for 5 minutes to crisp, then drain and season to taste. Spoon yoghurt curd into a serving bowl, scatter with peas, then arrange vegetables, fig, herbs and flowers alongside. Drizzle with the macadamia oil and vinegar mixture and serve.

Ben Devlin