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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 15 JUNE 2016 14 Food Using apricots in sweet and savoury dishes on Gourmet Today TV Apricots are sweet and succulent and work well in both sweet and savoury dishes. Sean Gravina and Chef Claudio Farrugia from Paranga showed us this in last week's episode of Gourmet Today. Claudio prepared an interesting starter of beetroot carpaccio served with chevre and apricots soaked in sugar, vinegar and orange. Sean makes some homemade cantucci with dried apricots, almonds and saffron, in a recipe that will change your opinion of these lowly biscuits most commonly served with coffee. Beetroot carpaccio with chevre and soaked apricot puree Cantucci with dried apricots, saffron and almonds COMING UP THIS WEEK This week Sean Gravina is back in the Gourmet Today kitchen with a seafood extravaganza. Everybody loves fried fish but Sean gives it that extra something special. He deep fries succulent scallops in batter and serves them with a delicious salsa verde. Claudio Farrugia from Paranga is back for another episode of Gourmet Today and he makes a delicious seafood risotto topped with prawn tartare. Don't miss this episode of Gourmet Today, on TVM this Friday at 18:15. Ingedients • 1 beetroot • 50g chevre • 30g walnuts • Pea shoots • 1 lemon, juice only • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • Salt Soaked apricots • 150g dried apricots • 100ml white wine vinegar • 100g sugar • 100ml water • ½ orange, zest only Method 1. Heat the sugar in a pot with the water, white wine vinegar and orange zest and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to come back to room temperature. Add the apricots and leave to soak overnight. 2. Using a mandolin, slice the beetroot into a bowl and add lemon juice, white vinegar, salt, olive oil and mix. 3. Take half of the soaked apricots and slice them Julianne. 4. Cook the remaining apricots in their juices on low heat until soft. 5. Pass through a sieve. 6. Roast the walnuts in the oven until fragrant, being careful that they don't burn. 7. Arrange the thinly sliced beetroot onto the serving plate, add the crumbled chevre cheese, roasted walnuts, soaked apricots, puree and garnish with pea shoots. This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today TV, aired on TVM on 10 June, 2016. Ingedients • Butter, for greasing • 500g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting • 500g caster sugar • 1 tsp baking powder • 3 eggs • 2 egg yolks • Pinch of saffron threads, crushed • 125g almonds, in their skin • 125g dried apricots Method 1. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C. 2. Grease and flour two baking sheets. 3. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a mound on a work surface and make a well in the centre. 4. Break two eggs into the well and add the egg yolks and saffron. 5. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients with the wet until you form a dough. 6. Add the almonds and chopped apricots and mix well. 7. With floured hands, take small pieces at a time and shape into long rolls, 3-4cm and 1 cm thick. 8. Put the rolls on the prepared sheets. 9. Lightly beat the remaining egg in a small bowl and brush the tops of the biscuits. Bake for 30 mins. 10. Remove from the oven, and cut into 2-3cm pieces at an angle using a bread knife. At this stage the biscuits will still be quite soft so they are easy to cut. 11. Return to the oven for another 5-10 mins to firm up. 12. When completely cool, store in an airtight container. This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today TV, aired on TVM on 10 June, 2016.