GLUTEN-FREE PICNIC STICKS
Perfect for picnics but equally suitable as a snack, as part of a lunch or for a pre-dinner bite these recipes are started some hours before you want to serve them. All that’s needed at the end is to drain and pat them dry then, for the eggs and cucumbers, thread them onto toothpicks. Use decorative cocktail sticks if you’d like to be a bit fancy.
The Tea-Marbled Quail Eggs are based on a traditional Chinese recipe; the Sesame-Coated Mini Cucumbers recipe has been adapted from one by chef Andrew McConnell; and Pickled Carrots is a fairly universal idea. All are simple and tasty. And gluten-free.
Caren
TEA-MARBLED QUAIL EGGS
12 quail eggs, at room temperature, washed
3 cups water
1 tablespoon English Breakfast tea leaves, or 2 tea bags
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon five spice powder
2 star anise
12 cocktail sticks
Five Spice Salt to serve, see below
Bring 2 cups of water to the boil in a saucepan. Carefully add the eggs and cook for 2 minutes.
Drain and rinse eggs under cold running water until cool.
Meanwhile boil the remaining cup of water and pour into a bowl. Add tea leaves, salt, five spice and star anise. Stir to combine.
Place the eggs on a clean cloth. Crack the shell of each egg all over either by rolling it on the bench or tapping with the back of a dessertspoon. Leave the shell on the egg. Place the eggs in the tea mixture, ensuring they are covered with liquid.
Allow the liquid to cool then cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
Peel the eggs, skewer each onto a cocktail stick and serve with the Five Spice Salt.
Five Spice Salt
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon five spice powder
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Roughly crush the ingredients in a mortar and pestle. Store in an airtight jar.
SESAME-COATED MINI CUCUMBERS
12-15 mini cucumbers, 4-5cm long
80 ml rice wine vinegar
80 ml gluten-free soy sauce
2 teaspoons caster sugar
40 gm white sesame seeds
10 gm black sesame seeds
12-15 cocktail sticks or toothpicks
Peel 3 thin strips off each cucumber.
Combine the vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in a bowl. Add the cucumbers and marinate for 4-6 hours, but no longer.
Meanwhile combine the sesame seeds and toast them in a dry frying pan until the white sesame seeds turn golden. Cool on a plate then coarsely grind them in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
Strain the liquid from the cucumbers into a jar. Pat dry the cucumbers and skewer each onto a toothpick or cocktail stick. Place on a plate and spoon over the sesame seeds, turning the sticks to coat the cucumbers.
Serve with the marinating liquid as a dipping sauce.
PICKLED DUTCH CARROTS
2 bunches long Dutch carrots, about 16 carrots
300 ml white vinegar
200 gm sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 slice lemon
Ground black pepper
Cut off most of the carrot tops leaving 2-3cm of the green stalks. Trim the ends and peel the carrots. Cut thick carrots in half lengthwise.
Place the vinegar, sugar and salt in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Set aside for a few minutes.
Place the carrots in a glass container and cover with the pickling liquid. Add the lemon slice.
Cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Drain the carrots, pat dry and place in a serving dish. Grind over some black pepper.
TIP:
A little of the pickling liquid can be used to dress other salads or vegetables such as coleslaw.