CRICKET KATSU CURRY

Serves: 2

Time: 1 hour 30 mins

INGREDIENTS

Katsu Sauce:

Vegetable Oil - 2 tbsp

Onion - 1

Carrot - 1

Garlic Cloves - 3

Ginger - 2cm

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Hot Curry Powder - 1 tbsp

Plain Flour - 1 tbsp

Vegetable Stock - 200ml

Coconut Milk - 125ml

Light Soy Sauce - 1 tsp

Granulated sugar - 1/2 tsp

Croquettes:

Sweet Potato - 1

Miso Paste - 1 tsp

Sesame Oil - 1/4 tsp

Ready to Cook Dried Crickets - 20g

Egg - 1

Plain Flour - 100g

Panko Breadcrumbs - 100g

Paprika - 1/2 tsp

Vegetable oil for deep fat frying

Salt and Black pepper

Serve:

Sticky Rice - 150g

Lettuce - 1/2

METHOD

PREP THE SAUCE | 20 mins

• Dice the onion, finely dice the garlic and ginger and grate the carrot.

• Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan, then add the onion and sauté until starting to soften.

• Add the garlic and ginger, then continue cooking until the onion is soft and translucent.

• Add the turmeric, curry powder and flour, and cook it out for another minute, stirring constantly.

• Whisk in the vegetable stock and coconut milk, and bring to the boil.

• Whisk over a gentle heat until thickened.

• Add the soy and sugar, then remove it from the heat.

• Use a stick blender or liquidiser to blend the sauce until entirely smooth.

• Taste and season with salt and black pepper if necessary.

PREP THE CROQUETTES | 45 mins

• Peel and dice the sweet potato.

• Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the potato pieces, and boil them until tender.

• Drain them completely, then mash them.

• Beat in the sesame oil, miso paste, salt and black pepper, then allow it to cool.

• Once completely cool, stir in the crickets.

• Take 3 pasta bowls (or similar sized, shallow bowls) and put the flour into one and season with salt, pepper and paprika, the beaten egg into another and the panko breadcrumbs into last.

• With clean hands, roll the sweet potato mixture into golf-ball sized pieces. One at a time, roll a ball in flour to coat it all over, then into the egg to coat it, and then into the panko breadcrumbs to roll until coated. Finally move it to the empty dinner plate whilst you roll the others.

• Once all the balls are finished, fill a large saucepan with 3-4 inches of vegetable oil and set it over a heat with a thermometer in it.

• Once the oil reaches 175-180°C, deep fry the balls in batches of no more than 3 or 4 at a time, or they will bring the temperature of the oil down too far. Use a metal slotted spoon and be careful!

• Once golden brown all over, scoop them out of the oil and place them on a plate lined with kitchen paper to soak up excess oil.

COOK THE RICE | 10 mins

• Add the rice to a saucepan with 150ml water.

• Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and leave the lid on for 10 mins.

SERVE | 5 mins

• Re-heat the sauce if necessary.

• Put a serving of rice onto each place, then a pool of the sauce, with the croquettes on top of the sauce. Drizzle extra sauce over the top, and serve with shredded lettuce on the side.

Cook this recipe with our Ready to Cook Dried Crickets.