To celebrate Watercress Week and to mark the Watercress Festival, here’s a brilliant Instagrammable recipe from Dorset-based chef, Suze Morrison who runs Gourmet Glow, a platform for recipes, hints and tips for holistic foodies. Suze is passionate about nutrition and the unique pairings of volatile compounds in food which she creates in her Dorset kitchen. Local watercress is central to many of her creations, not only for its aromatic compounds, but also for its nutritional value.
Charcoal Buns
240g strong bread flour
1tsp salt
2tsp sugar
130ml whole milk
30ml water
7g dried yeast
1 egg
35g unsalted butter, room temperature
10g food grade activated charcoal
For the glaze
1 egg yolk mixed with 2tsp milk
1tbsp white sesame seeds
Method: Add the flour, salt and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix to combine. Warm the milk to body temperature, add the yeast. Whisk in the egg. Add to the flour and mix, using a dough hook, on medium speed for 2-3 minutes (or knead by hand for 5 minutes).
Meanwhile, mix the butter with the activated charcoal. Add the butter charcoal mixture piece by piece to the dough whilst mixing on medium speed. Continue to knead on medium high for 8-10 minutes until it is smooth, silky and comes away from the bowl cleanly. If doing by hand, butter needs to be ‘slapped’ into the dough piece by piece before kneading for 10-15 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl covered with oiled clingfilm, prove for 60-90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Knock back the dough, divide into 12 equal portions. Shape into a money bag shape, turn over and roll into balls. Divide between two lined trays, cover with oiled cling film, and leave to prove for 40-60 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven 190°C/ gas mark 5. Once the buns have risen, brush the tops with the egg and milk glaze, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 10 minutes or until they sound hollow when the bases are tapped. Leave to cool completely.
Click here for another great Dorset watercress recipe
Prawn Sliders
500g raw prawns, shelled, chopped into 1cm pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1tbsp fresh ginger, minced
3tbsp coriander, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1tbsp lime juice
2tsp fish sauce
1tsp caster sugar
1-2 tbsp oil
Jalapeno Watercress Mayo
200g mayonnaise (Japanese is best)
1 jalapeno, seeded
20g fresh watercress
Method: Add 1/3 of the prawns with the slider ingredients (except the oil) to a food processor and blitz to a puree. Stir in the remaining prawns and take a small ball of the mix. Heat the oil to medium high in a large frying pan and fry the small ball for 2 minutes or until cooked. Taste, adjust the seasoning and shape the mix into 12 patties. Fry the patties in 2 batches for 2 minutes each side or until cooked through.
Next make the mayo, add the ingredients for the mayo to a blender and blitz to a chunky mayo.
Serve the buns with the warm prawn patties and watercress mayo garnished with watercress, cucumber and lime.
Click here for more recipe inspiration
