Savoury Grana Padano churros with cherry tomato jam

Savoury Grana Padano churros with cherry tomato jam

-COLLABORATION-

I must warn you these little pillowy puffs are entirely moreish. One goes in swiftly followed by another and so on …

I’ve indulged my preference for savoury over sweet and swapped out the sugar for a good chunk of Grana Padano Riserva.  The Grana Padano Riserva in this recipe is aged for over 20 months, giving it a delicious, intense flavour with notes of hay, butter and dried fruit.

To ensure these are the absolute best they can be I’ve served them alongside a bowl of slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, that once cooled, turn super sweet and ridiculously jammy all with close to zero effort! Then, to finish things off there is also of course, a smattering of finely grated Grana Padano Riserva - how could I not!? 

These churros are the perfect accompaniment to an aperitivo moment. Serve alongside a chilled glass of something sparkly or a crisp white wine. 

Be warned this recipe involves deep fat frying but the payoff overrides any hesitation you may have! These can also be made in advance and frozen (in fact this helps them keep their shape). So, if you’re hosting, you can whip them out the freezer and add them directly to your hot oil. They will be ready in minutes. 

Ingredients:

For the churros:

·       240ml water 

·       85g butter 

·       120g '00’ pasta flour (plain flour works too)

·       A generous sprinkle of sea salt flakes 

·       2 large eggs 

·       100g Grana Padano Riserva, finely grated

To garnish 

·       20g Grana Padano Riserva, finely grated 

For the cherry tomato jam:

·       2 vines of ripe cherry tomatoes

·       A glug of rapeseed oil

·       Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1.     Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Add half the cherry tomatoes to a baking tray with a glug of oil and seasoning and simply roast until soft and jammy for around an hour to an hour and half. Cool, transfer to a bowl and mash until you have a sauce. 

2.     For the churros: combine the water and butter in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat, add in the flour and salt and beat with a wooden spoon until thick and no longer sticking to the sides of the pan. It’s ready when the dough starts coming together into a ball. Allow to cool for 5-10 mins. Next beat in the eggs, one at a time, using an electric whisk, until you have a smooth batter. Transfer to a piping bag and it’s ready to use. 

Tip – Pipe the churros onto a sheet of parchment paper and freeze until ready to use. This helps the churros keep their shape.

3.     When you’re ready to cook your churros, heat the oil to 190 degrees Celsius. Once the oil has reached the right temperature, add your churros and fry until lightly golden for around 1-2 mins, depending on their size.

Tip - You can just place the sheet of parchment directly (and carefully) into the oil so the churros doesn’t lose their shape. 

4.     Once cooked, place the churros on a piece of paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve on a plate sprinkled with freshly grated Grana Padano Riserva alongside the cherry tomato jam.