Choux Christmas Wreath
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500 ml (2 cups) full cream plain yoghurt
salt, to season
2 (200 g) ripe avocados, pureed
lemon juice, to taste
a handful of parsley, finely chopped
15 ml (1 tbsp) maple syrup
5 ml (1 tsp) brown sugar
3 (105 g) slices of thick-cut bacon
1 (200g) avocado, sliced
100 g cake flour
salt, to season
1 large egg, whisked
100 g panko breadcrumbs
30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable oil
1 (7 g) clove garlic, thinly sliced
15 ml (1 tbsp) dried chilli flakes
2,5 ml (½ tsp) sesame seeds, toasted
2,5 ml (½ tsp) soy sauce
1,25 ml (¼ tsp) granulated white sugar
a pinch of salt
2,5 ml (½ tsp) crushed peanuts
60 ml (¼ cup) water
60 ml (¼ cup) white vinegar
2,5 ml (½ tsp) granulated white sugar
1,25 ml (¼ tsp) salt
1 (7 g) garlic clove, minced
½ (100 g) ripe avocado, sliced
½ (75 g) red onion, thinly sliced
2 slices of sourdough bread, toasted
2 large eggs, fried
In a small bowl season the cake flour with salt. Crumb the avocado by dipping the avocado in the seasoned flour first, followed by the egg and then the Panko crumbs. Deep fry the crumbed Avocado chips in hot oil until golden. Season with salt.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. The oil should be hot, but not smoking. Add the thinly sliced garlic to the hot oil. Cook the garlic until the garlic turns golden brown and crispy, about 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to burn it. Once crispy, remove the garlic from the oil and set it aside on a paper towel to drain. In a small heatproof bowl, combine the dried chilli flakes, sesame seeds, soy sauce, sugar and salt. Carefully pour the hot oil over the chilli flake mixture. Stir to combine. Once the mixture cools slightly, stir in the crispy garlic slices and the crushed peanuts.
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, vinegar, sugar, salt and garlic. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the pickling liquid cool slightly. Place the thinly sliced avocado and sliced onion in a small, heat-proof container. Pour the warm (not hot) pickling liquid over the avocado and onion, making sure the slices are fully submerged. Allow the avocado and onion to sit in the pickling liquid for at least 15-20 minutes.
Spread a good amount of the Avocado labneh onto the toast, followed by the pickled avocado, the crispy maple bacon and the pickled avocado and onion on top. Finish the toasted sourdough with the crispy Avocado chips, the fried egg and a generous amount of chilli crunch.
The longer the yoghurt drains in the fridge, the firmer the cheese will become. Hang the cheese a day or two in advance, and store it in an airtight container until needed.
Charné Strauss represented ICA at the 2024 Culinary Schools Student Chef Competition with her dish, Avo on Toast for Dinner. Her recipe featured a ciabatta sandwich with avocado labneh, crispy maple bacon, pickled avocado, red onion and a fried egg finished with fried avocado chips and homemade chili crunch.
