Textured nuggets with chips and ketchup – IDDSI Level 4

Texturising food not only preserves the essence and flavour of traditional dishes, but also provides people with dysphagia a safe, varied and enjoyable culinary experience.

Thanks to the use of our cutter-emulsifier and careful plating planning, this dish of nuggets with chips and ketchup achieves an IDDSI Level 4 texture, ideal for those who need an adapted diet without giving up familiar flavours.

1. Air-fry the nuggets until golden, but avoid over-browning.

2. To reach IDDSI Level 5, place the nuggets in the cutter-emulsifier and blend using pulse programme P3, ensuring the pieces are no larger than 4 mm (use the tines of a fork as a reference).

3. To achieve IDDSI Level 4 texture, use the dense texture programme P1. Add chicken stock and blend again at speed 6 for 2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and dense.

4. Transfer the mixture into a piping bag to facilitate plating.

5. Separately, air-fry the chips.

6. Blend the chips in the cutter-emulsifier – first for a few seconds at speed 3 with a bit of butter, then at speed 10 for 2 minutes.

7. Transfer this mix into a second piping bag fitted with a star or square nozzle to recreate the shape of chips during plating.

8. In addition to ketchup, you can serve the dish with mustard mayonnaise for a more intense flavour. To prepare it, gently mix a few spoonfuls of mustard into the mayonnaise until evenly coloured and textured.

For IDDSI Level 4 plating, include a small bowl with mustard mayo, a few spoonfuls of ketchup, and pipe round shapes of the nugget mix and chip-shaped strips of the potato mix onto the plate. Due to its starch content, the blended potato can become too thick if not consumed promptly, so it’s recommended to serve it with sauces – the ketchup can be offered at IDDSI Level 3 to counteract thickening.

* You can also shape the nuggets using a medium-sized ice cream scoop, slightly flattening each portion.

** Of the three sauces used in this recipe, most commercially available options have a uniform texture and the consistency required for Level 4. However, always ensure there are no lumps, seeds or solid particles before serving.