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| Salad Recipes |
Broad bean and herb salad My favourite spring salad at the moment. It's fresh, and also full of deeper interesting aromas from the dried mint, preserved lemon and pink peppercorns. The goat's cheese can be left out, if you prefer. Serves four.
50g pearl barley
300g broad beans, fresh or frozen
1 head of baby gem lettuce, cut into 1.5cm slices
1 tbsp preserved lemon skin, finely chopped
15g mint leaves, roughly shredded
15g basil leaves, roughly shredded
1 tsp dried mint
1 tbsp lemon juice
About 60ml olive oil
Salt and black pepper
60g soft goat's cheese
¾ tsp pink peppercorns
Put the pearl barley in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of fresh water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 30-35 minutes, until the barley is cooked but still has a certain bite. Refresh in cold water, drain and set aside to dry.
Throw the broad beans into a pan of boiling water, simmer for two minutes, drain and refresh under cold water. (If you wish, pop the beans out and discard the skins.)
Put the beans in a mixing bowl, add the barley, lettuce, preserved lemon, herbs, lemon juice and olive oil, stir gently and season to taste; add more olive oil if needed. Transfer the salad to serving bowls and crumble the goat's cheese on top. Crush the pink peppercorns with your fingers, sprinkle over the top and serve.
Lamb cutlets with sumac, aubergine and green tahiniThe three elements that go with this lamb – green tahini, burnt aubergine and yoghurt – could be mixed into one delicious sauce to serve with roasted or fresh veg, but I prefer to keep them apart here to create a more luscious, complex experience. Just leave out the sumac if you can't get hold of it. Serves four.
4 medium aubergines
2 tsp white-wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried mint
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and black pepper
For the lamb
2 600g racks of lamb, French trimmed
2 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp sumac mixed with 2 tsp Maldon sea salt
4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
For the tahini sauce
60g tahini paste
1 mild green chilli, deseeded (or less, to taste)
40g parsley, leaves and stems
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove
60ml water
1 pinch each salt and sugar
Pierce the aubergines in a few places with a knife, then lay on a foil-lined tray and place under a hot grill for up to an hour, turning them a few times. They need to deflate completely and the skin burn and break. Once done, remove from the grill. Set the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Cut down the centre of each aubergine and scoop the flesh into a colander. Leave to drain for at least 15 minutes. Chop up the aubergine, add the vinegar, oil, mint, cumin and plenty of salt and pepper, and set aside.
While the aubergines are cooking, start on the lamb. Put a large nonstick frying pan over high heat. Brush the lamb with oil and sear until golden-brown all over. Place on a baking sheet and press sumac and salt all over the flesh. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until cooked but still pink, then leave to rest for five minutes.
Put all the sauce ingredients in a small food processor bowl and work for two to three minutes, until you have a smooth, green paste. Add a little water, if needed, to get it to a pouring consistency.
To serve, carve the racks into individual cutlets and divide between four plates. Spoon over some of the aubergine, followed by some sauce, and top with a dollop of yoghurt.
50g pearl barley
300g broad beans, fresh or frozen
1 head of baby gem lettuce, cut into 1.5cm slices
1 tbsp preserved lemon skin, finely chopped
15g mint leaves, roughly shredded
15g basil leaves, roughly shredded
1 tsp dried mint
1 tbsp lemon juice
About 60ml olive oil
Salt and black pepper
60g soft goat's cheese
¾ tsp pink peppercorns
Put the pearl barley in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of fresh water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 30-35 minutes, until the barley is cooked but still has a certain bite. Refresh in cold water, drain and set aside to dry.
Throw the broad beans into a pan of boiling water, simmer for two minutes, drain and refresh under cold water. (If you wish, pop the beans out and discard the skins.)
Put the beans in a mixing bowl, add the barley, lettuce, preserved lemon, herbs, lemon juice and olive oil, stir gently and season to taste; add more olive oil if needed. Transfer the salad to serving bowls and crumble the goat's cheese on top. Crush the pink peppercorns with your fingers, sprinkle over the top and serve.
Lamb cutlets with sumac, aubergine and green tahiniThe three elements that go with this lamb – green tahini, burnt aubergine and yoghurt – could be mixed into one delicious sauce to serve with roasted or fresh veg, but I prefer to keep them apart here to create a more luscious, complex experience. Just leave out the sumac if you can't get hold of it. Serves four.
4 medium aubergines
2 tsp white-wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried mint
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and black pepper
For the lamb
2 600g racks of lamb, French trimmed
2 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp sumac mixed with 2 tsp Maldon sea salt
4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
For the tahini sauce
60g tahini paste
1 mild green chilli, deseeded (or less, to taste)
40g parsley, leaves and stems
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove
60ml water
1 pinch each salt and sugar
Pierce the aubergines in a few places with a knife, then lay on a foil-lined tray and place under a hot grill for up to an hour, turning them a few times. They need to deflate completely and the skin burn and break. Once done, remove from the grill. Set the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Cut down the centre of each aubergine and scoop the flesh into a colander. Leave to drain for at least 15 minutes. Chop up the aubergine, add the vinegar, oil, mint, cumin and plenty of salt and pepper, and set aside.
While the aubergines are cooking, start on the lamb. Put a large nonstick frying pan over high heat. Brush the lamb with oil and sear until golden-brown all over. Place on a baking sheet and press sumac and salt all over the flesh. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until cooked but still pink, then leave to rest for five minutes.
Put all the sauce ingredients in a small food processor bowl and work for two to three minutes, until you have a smooth, green paste. Add a little water, if needed, to get it to a pouring consistency.
To serve, carve the racks into individual cutlets and divide between four plates. Spoon over some of the aubergine, followed by some sauce, and top with a dollop of yoghurt.
