• Tropical flavours with warm custard in crispy spring roll pastry – delicious!

    TO DRINK: De Trafford Straw Wine 2005 is rich, boastful and sheer decadence – a great match for these sweet treats.

    Coconut samoosas with pineappe carpaccio and saffron syrup

    Serves: 4
    Cooking Time: 1 hour 20 mins

    Ingredients

    • PINEAPPLE CARPACCIO
    • 1 litre water
    • 300g (1½ cups) sugar
    • a pinch of saffron
    • 1 pineapple, peeled, hard bits removed and left whole
    • FILLING
    • 125ml (½ cup) milk
    • 125ml (½ cup) coconut milk
    • 1 lemon grass stalk, crushed
    • 3 large egg yolks
    • 50ml (¼ cup) sugar
    • 25ml (5 tsp) cake flour
    • 8 sheets of spring roll pastry
    • 1 large egg white
    • oil, for deep-frying

    Instructions

    1

    For the carpaccio, place the water and the sugar in a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and add the saffron.

    2

    Place the pineapple in the syrup and boil for 40 minutes.

    3

    For the filling, place the milk and coconut milk in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the lemon grass and leave to infuse for about 10 minutes.

    4

    Beat the egg yolks and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the flour and mix to combine.

    5

    Remove the lemon grass from the milk mixture and discard. Add the hot milk to the egg mixture and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a clean saucepan. Stir over a moderate heat until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Leave to cool.

    6

    Remove the pineapple from the syrup. Leave the syrup to cool until needed. Cut half of the pineapple into paper-thin slices for the carpaccio. Cut the other half into small cubes.

    7

    Cut the spring roll pastry into four equal strips and brush with egg white. Place a little of the filling on the bottom of each strip and add a few blocks of pineapple. Fold the pastry into a triangular shape to form a samoosa.

    8

    Heat the oil and fry the samoosas until golden, about 2 minutes. Drain and serve piping hot with the pineapple carpaccio and syrup.