IT'S DULCE DE LECHE, BUT SPICY & SALTY

One of the many classic recipe that is always finding its way onto my kitchen table is dulce de leche, which is quite simply the most luxurious, satisfying and seductive sweet sauce anyone is likely to put in their mouth/on a biscuit/in a cake/wherever they want. Many countries have their own version of dulce de leche, but the one I most like is the combination of evaporated milk, condensed milk, vanilla and egg yolks.  But let's try something a bit unusual...

Last month I was fortunate to try the softest and most delicious fudge in the New Forest, which got me thinking about dulce de leche.  However, another type of fudge I tried was an incredibly overpowering salted chilli chocolate fudge, which was almost impossible to eat.  After easing the chilli pain with a few cold drinks, I got to thinking about improving on the awful attempt at a salted chilli chocolate and this is what I came up with:

Churros with Black Olive & Paprika Dulce de Leche

Churros are a big thing in Spain.  Especially after a all-night long festival party, having churros con chocolate for breakfast is one of life's great moments.  Also popular in South America, where in Argentina they are served with or often filled with dulce de leche. Here's my salty, chilli version.

INGREDIENTS

Black olive & paprika dulce de leche

• 1 Can condensed milk
• 1 Can evaporated milk
• 10 Black olives, 8 left whole, 2 finely chopped
• 2 Egg yolks
• 5ml Vanilla extract
• 1tbsp paprika

Churros

• 50g Plain flour
• 100g Self raising flour
• 10g Bicarbonate of soda
• 1tsp fine sea salt
• 10ml Olive oil
• 300ml boiling water
• 1 Egg (not usually added in churros, but the egg enriches the dough)
• Sugar & cinnamon to coat
• 1ltr Olive oil (or vegetable oil) for frying

METHOD

Black olive & paprika dulce de leche

1. Pour both milks into a heavy-bottomed sauce pan and set over a medium-low heat.  Add the 8 whole olives (to infuse) and gently heat, ensuring to stir all the time until it thickens and darkens - usually after 30-45 minutes, depending on temperature.
2. When coloured to your liking (the darker the more intense the flavour), remove from the heat and carefully remove the 8 whole olives.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before adding the vanilla extract, stirring through the mixture.
3. Beat in the egg yolks until fully combined, ensuring the mixture is not too hot, otherwise the eggs may scramble.  Set aside to cool completely before covering and moving to the fridge until required.
4. When serving, add the chopped black olives and paprika to the dulce de leche.

Churros

1. Sift the flours, bicarb and salt into a large bowl, mixing together well.  Add the 10ml olive oil and combine well.
2. Gradually add the boiling water, mixing rapidly with a wooden spoon.  The mixture should be quite wet, and when all the water has been added, and continuing to mix, add the egg yolk.  Continue to beat well and the dough will start to form, becoming less lumpy and a little less wet, almost the consistency of velvety mashed potato.
3. Leave the dough to sit, covered for at least 10 minutes.
4. Add the dough to a piping bag with the wide star nozzle.  (I did not have a star nozzle so my churros are not as crispy as they could be, but taste the same!)
5. Heat a pan of oil, or a deep-fat fryer  to 180 degrees celsius, and when hot enough, begin to pipe 4-6cm lengths of dough into the oil, cutting the end with scissors.
6. Fry in batches, draining each well on kitchen paper, before coating in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon.
7. Serve a few churros with an espresso cup of the salty, chilli dulce de leche.

ADDITIONAL INFO

I created this recipe after receiving a lovely hamper from Fragata, the Spanish retail brand famous for olives.  In this recipe I used Fragata black olives.  Fragata are currently running a Facebook competition for consumers, with the winner having the chance to cook with José Pizarro!  To enter, visit their competition page by clicking here.