To make sure you get the very best results from your Big Salads when you make them, here are just a few little tips and tricks to help you with some of the elements.
For example, I love to use nuts and seeds to finish a salad – not only do they add some crunch and texture but they can add another level of flavour. Toasting them can make those flavours even more dynamic. I like to do them in the oven as I think it makes for a more even way of cooking and you don’t run the risk of charring bits, as you do in a dry frying pan. By toasting big batches of nuts and storing them in airtight containers you’ll always have them to hand when you need them – plus they make for healthy snacks or a topping on your breakfast – so that’s a win win!
TOASTING NUTS
Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/gas mark 5. Place the nuts in a single layer over the base of a large-lipped baking sheet or roasting tin. Pop them into the oven for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and shake them around, moving the outer ones in as they tend to toast more quickly around the edges. By this point, they should be starting to turn golden brown. Return to the oven for another 6–10 minutes to fully toast them. Blanched hazelnuts, almonds, flaked almonds and pine nuts tend to take the least time, while larger nuts like pecans and walnuts etc can handle a little more time in the oven.
TOASTING SEEDS
Follow the nut method above (same oven temperature and single layer on a baking sheet) but increase the cooking time to 10 minutes before you give them their first shake. Then return to the oven for another 10–12 minutes. If you’re toasting sunflower seeds, the outer skin will start to pop open; sunflower seeds will become slightly golden.
KITCHEN KIT
You don’t need to have lots of fancy kit to make the recipes in Big Salads. A normal home cook should have enough pots and pans and baking sheets to create all these recipes at home. However, if I could recommend just two pieces of equipment that would save you time, they would be an adjustable mandolin and a mini-chopper.
Mandolins make slicing things like fennel, beetroot (beets), shallots, radishes, cabbages (and so much more) a great deal faster – plus they keep everything lovely and even, without relying on your knife skills, which helps your finished dish to look amazing. Having an adjustable mandolin means you can vary how thinly you can slice, so you get the fruit or veg just how you like it.
A mini-chopper is great for making some of the dressings or pestos, for roughly chopping nuts, making pastes etc. I couldn’t live without mine – after all, the quicker I am in the kitchen, the more fun I get to have with my guests.
I mention using cast-iron frying pans (skillets) and griddles, too, and while these can add to the effect of a dish, if you don’t have one a normal frying pan will be just fine. Don’t be deterred – where there is a will, there is always a way!
INGREDIENTS AND SOURCING
The majority of the ingredients used in these recipes should be readily available, no matter where you live, from your local supermarket, corner shop, fishmonger, butcher or greengrocer. However, there may be a few things like Korean glass noodles, fresh anchovies or octopus that might be slightly harder to find. As a food writer, I don’t ever want people not to be able to make my food (otherwise, what’s the point?), so I’m hoping these websites may help you source a few of the ingredients that aren’t always in every supermarket.
souschef.co.uk
frozenfishdirect.co.uk
kingcrab.co.uk
ocado.co.uk
freshdirect.com
instacart.com
wholefoodsmarket.com
amazon.com
I always use Maldon sea salt flakes, so if you use a different kind of salt please adjust the amount accordingly. You’ll need far less of a fine salt. Seasoning a finished dish is also a very personal thing, so always season to taste – just remember you can always add more but you can’t take it away.
I always use free range eggs from high-welfare, happy chickens. They just taste better.
I try to buy the best-quality produce that I can afford and use it lovingly. Try finding a local butcher and fishmonger for good-quality meat and fish. Many of the recipes are plant-based so when adding meat and fish, try and make it count if you can.
STORAGE
Most dressings and sauces will keep for at least a few days if stored in a clean, airtight container in the fridge. Herb-based dressings may become a little less vibrant but no less tasty, just shake well before using them again to make sure everything gets re-mixed.
LEFTOVERS
Love them.
