SUMMER
Being street food traders and working outdoors all year, we absolutely love it when summer finally comes around. Not only is it a great time to enjoy being out in the sun (the market has a brilliantly busy buzz!), it’s also the best season for salads because the most exciting, colourful ingredients are at their peak.
You can head down to your local market (or even the supermarket) and pick up ripe, succulent produce bursting with flavour – look out for cucumbers, courgettes and aubergines, as well juicy summer fruit from plump peaches to fragrant figs. Or if you’re lucky enough to have a vegetable patch or allotment, this is the time when your hard work will really be paying off.
It’s a good season to experiment with sweet elements in your salads, such as pomegranate or mango – these are ideal for creating salads that give you a holiday vibe on a workaday Monday. Look to our zesty prawn, courgette, mango, chilli and grilled pitta combo for a taste of the exotic. Or wait for the weekend and treat friends to a backyard feast of barbecued lamb cutlets, grilled aubergine, pepper and mint yoghurt.
FIVE MINUTE SALAD
fennel bulb | courgette | celery | mint | lemon
Remove the core from 1 fennel bulb with a paring knife and slice as thinly as possible. Slice 1 courgette lengthways into ribbons. Peel and discard the fibrous skin from 1 celery stalk and chop into 5mm/1/4in pieces. Combine with a few mint leaves. For a dressing, add the juice of 1/2 lemon, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
◁ GRILLED APRICOTS AND PEACHES, COUSCOUS, MINT, SERRANO HAM, PINE NUTS
This is a lovely summer dish that’s easy to make. The salty ham really complements the sweetness of the peach and the apricots. When you buy your fruit, pick ones that aren’t too soft as they tend to stick to the pan quite easily. We’ve also chosen to serve this dish with moghrabieh (Lebanese couscous) but you can use any type of pearl or giant couscous.
- 60g/2 1/4oz/1/4 cup pine nuts
- 200g/7oz/1 cup moghrabieh (giant couscous)
- 8 ripe apricots
- 8 ripe peaches
- vegetable oil, for rubbing
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- splash of extra-virgin olive oil
- splash of balsamic vinegar
- 160g/5 1/2oz thinly sliced serrano ham
- salt
- mint leaves, to garnish
Serves 4
DRESSING SUGGESTION
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Toast the pine nuts in a non-stick frying pan over a low heat for 5–7 minutes, tossing occasionally until golden-brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Bring to the boil plenty of water in a large pot, with a pinch of salt. Add the couscous and cook for 9–10 minutes until soft. Drain the couscous and rinse under cold running water.
Cut the apricots and peaches into quarters. Put your stove on maximum heat and place a grill pan or griddle on top. Make sure the pan is smoking hot before you start grilling the fruit.
Rub the peaches and apricots with a little bit of vegetable oil to keep them from sticking to the grill. Put the fruit on the grill and leave for about 5 minutes until they do not stick to the grill any more.
Once all the fruit is grilled and cooled, put it in a bowl together with the couscous and pine nuts. Squeeze in the lemon juice and dress with a splash of extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and mix together well.
Place everything on a plate and serve with the sliced serrano ham and fresh mint leaves on top.
◁ BEETROOT AND GIN CURED SALMON, PICKLED CUCUMBER, CRISPY RYE
Cured salmon is a classic in Sweden. The curing process takes quite a bit of time, but the preparation is quick and easy. The beetroot stains the fish beautifully, leaving a deep blush around the edges, and the gin adds character.
- 2 fresh beetroot, peeled
- grated zest of 2 lemons
- 50ml/2fl oz/scant 1/4 cup gin
- 120g/4oz rock salt
- 40g/1 1/2oz/1/4 cup demerara (raw) sugar
- 500g/1lb 2oz side of salmon, pin-boned
- 4 slices rye crispbread
- 1 punnet of salad cress
FOR THE PICKLED CUCUMBER
- 1 tsp pickling spice (available ready mixed)
- 100ml/3 1/2fl oz/scant 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 30g/1oz/2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp chopped dill
- 1/2 cucumber, very thinly sliced
Serves 4
DRESSING SUGGESTION
Swedish or French mustard
Grate the beetroot into a bowl and add the lemon zest, gin, rock salt and demerara sugar and mix well.
Place the salmon, skin-side down, on a large piece of clingfilm and cover the flesh side with the beetroot cure, pressing it into the flesh with the back of a spoon. Wrap the clingfilm around the fish tightly and leave in the fridge for 36 hours.
A couple of hours before you serve the salmon, heat the pickling spices in a small dry pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes, or until they smell aromatic.
Add the vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, stir in 50ml/2fl oz/scant 1/4 cup water and leave to cool. Once cool, add the chopped dill, sliced cucumber and a pinch of salt, and leave to stand for an hour or so.
Remove the salmon from the fridge and unwrap it. Scrape the beetroot cure carefully from the flesh and discard.
Carefully rinse any remaining cure from the fish under a slow running tap. Be careful not to drench it. Pat dry with kitchen paper and slice very thinly.
Divide the rye crispbread among serving plates, arrange the pickled cucumber on top, then the salmon, and finish with a sprinkle of cress.
◁ RICOTTA AND SULTANA STUFFED COURGETTE FLOWERS, WATERCRESS, BLACK SESAME SEEDS
In Italy this is an alternative fritto misto (fried fish) dish for vegetarians. The trick to making this dish work is getting the batter and the temperature of the oil right. The batter can be made with beer instead of soda water (though soda water is a lighter option). Either way, this might not be the healthiest option in the book, but it’s a great little salad and it’s truly delicious.
- 70g/2 1/2oz/1/2 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
- 30g/1oz/2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- pinch of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1 egg
- 200ml/7fl oz/scant 1 cup chilled soda water
- 50g/1 3/4oz/1/4 cup sultanas (golden raisins)
- 350g/12oz/1 1/2 cups ricotta
- grated zest and half the juice of 1 lemon
- 8 courgette (zucchini) flowers
- 1 large courgette (zucchini)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for deep-frying
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for deep-frying
- 90g/3 1/4oz watercress
- 2 tsp black sesame seeds
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serves 4
DRESSING SUGGESTION
First, make the batter. Sift both flours and the bicarbonate of soda together. Add a pinch of salt and a twist of pepper. Break the egg into the bowl and add the soda water. Whisk together quite briskly until it is a smooth batter. (Don’t worry if a few small lumps remain, this is preferable to overmixing). Cover and leave the batter in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Soak the sultanas in a heatproof bowl of freshly boiled water for 10 minutes, then drain and squeeze out any excess water. Put the ricotta into a bowl, add the sultanas, lemon zest, a few drops of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste, then give everything a good mix.
Cut a cross shape into the base of the courgette flower where it was originally attached to the courgette: this will allow it to cook more quickly in the fryer. Carefully prise open the petals of each courgette flower and spoon in the mixture, being careful not to overfill them. You need to be able to close the flower back up afterwards. Gently twist the ends of the petals together to close them.
Top and tail the large courgette, cut in half widthways and then slice each half lengthways into ribbons. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a pan over a high heat, add the courgette ribbons and stir-fry them very quickly.
This should take no more than 2 minutes.
When the ribbons are done and nicely coloured, put them into a bowl with the remaining lemon juice and the extra-virgin olive oil, then season to taste. Don’t worry if the courgette ribbons are still a little firm, they will soften more as they cool.
Using a deep-fat fryer or a deep saucepan, heat enough vegetable oil for deep-frying to 180°C/350°F.
Remove the batter from the fridge, give it another quick stir and dip 2 or 3 courgette flowers at a time (depending on how many will fit in your fryer). Carefully lower them into the hot oil and deep-fry for 3–4 minutes, turning them occasionally. Lift them out with a slotted metal spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Continue until all the flowers are cooked.
Toss the courgette ribbons together with the watercress and arrange on serving plates with 2 deep-fried courgette flowers on top of each plate. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
◁ MARINATED CHICKEN, ARTICHOKE, GRILLED LEMONS, RED QUINOA
This is the recipe for the chicken we serve at our stall. We always marinate it overnight to make the meat super-tender, but even two hours is enough to absorb the lovely thyme and rosemary flavours.
- 1 small bunch of thyme
- 1 small bunch of rosemary
- 2 lemons
- 6 garlic cloves
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 8 artichokes
- 250g/9oz/1 1/2 cups red quinoa
- 200g/7oz rocket (arugula)
- extra virigin olive oil
- 100g/3 1/2oz parmesan
- salt
Serves 4
DRESSING SUGGESTION
Roughly chop the herbs. Grate the zest and juice of one of the lemons (reserve a quarter of this lemon) and crush the garlic cloves with the flat side of a broad, heavy knife. Mix these with the chicken, add a splash of olive oil and leave, covered, in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Trim the woody, outer leaves from the artichokes and cut off the tips from the top leaves. Peel the stems and cut away any excess, leaving about 5cm/2in. As you work through them, rub lemon juice from the reserved lemon on to the exposed areas.
Put the artichokes into a non-metallic roasting dish with a drizzle of olive oil, cover loosely with baking parchment and add about 100ml/3 1/2fl oz/scant 1/2 cup water to the dish. Cook in the hot oven for 20–25 minutes.
Cook the chicken breast on the stove in a heavy non-stick pan over a low heat for about 20 minutes, turning frequently, until golden-brown and firm to the touch.
Bring the quinoa to the boil in 400ml/14fl oz/1 3/4 cups salted water and when most of the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes, reduce the heat to very low, stir well, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes. Leave to cool slightly in the pan.
Cut the remaining lemon into quarters lengthways, drizzle with olive oil, season and grill for a few minutes on each side on a grill pan until it colours slightly. Leave to cool.
Toss the quinoa, artichokes, rocket and grilled lemons together. Add a little extra-virgin olive oil, check the seasoning and arrange on plates, shaving parmesan over the top. Slice the cooked chicken quite thickly and place on top.
◁ NDUJA, BURRATA, BURNED AUBERGINES, SLOW-DRIED CHERRY TOMATOES, BASIL
This dish is a mouthwatering blend of flavours originating from the south of Italy and includes some of our favourite ingredients. The creamy burrata, the spicy ndjua and the sweet slow-roasted cherry tomatoes make a fantastic team. Nduja is a spicy, spreadable pork sausage that’s as awesome on a piece of bread as it is in a pasta sauce. When you fry it, it releases a spicy oil which, in this recipe, you can use to drizzle over the finished dish.
- 500g/1lb 2oz cherry tomatoes
- rock salt
- 2 aubergines (eggplants)
- 20g/3/4oz basil
- 200g/7oz nduja
- 2 balls burrata mozzarella
- 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serves 4
Preheat the oven to 100°C/210°F/gas mark 1/4 and line a large shallow oven tray with baking parchment.
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half along the middle (not through the top where the stalk was) – this allows more of the liquid to be exposed and makes drying more efficient. Arrange them in a single layer on the lined oven tray and season with rock salt and a few twists of black pepper. Cook in the oven for about 2 hours.
Keep checking them; if they are turning dark at the edges turn the heat down 10–20°C /25°F or so. You should see them shrivel and lose most of their weight as the water evaporates. When they are ready, and they have shrunk considerably, remove from the oven and leave to cool.
Wrap the aubergines individually in 2 layers of foil and place in a dry, wide based pan. Cook the aubergines on the stove over a high heat with nothing else added to the pan, turning them occasionally. You are aiming to scorch the skins inside the foil while the flesh softens and cooks in the centre. Keep turning them until they feel soft and squishy throughout. This will take about 20 minutes.
Remove the aubergines from the pan and leave to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, chop the basil quite finely and add to a large bowl with the dried tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and drizzle a little olive oil over. Set aside.
Slice the nduja into 1cm/1/2in rounds. Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium-high heat, add the nduja and cook for about 5 minutes, or until it sizzles and breaks apart.
Spoon the aubergine flesh (leaving behind the skin) on to 4 serving plates. Tear the burrata mozzarella and add a piece to each plate. Scatter the tomatoes around and spoon over the hot nduja, including the juices and oil. Serve straight away.
◁ GRILLED PRAWNS, COURGETTE RIBBONS, MANGO, CHILLI, GRILLED PITTA
This was one of the first salads we ever had on our stall. It was an immediate success and helped us realise that people were hungry for Savage Salads-style lunches. Since then we’ve created many variations of this dish, but this one remains our all-time favourite. It has an exotic twist, it’s lovely and light and it’s perfect on a hot summer day.
- 1 large courgette (zucchini)
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 mild red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 large, ripe mango
- 16 king prawns (shrimp), peeled, de-veined, heads removed and tails still intact
- 4 pitta breads (white or wholemeal)
- grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serves 4
DRESSING SUGGESTION
Preheat a chargrill pan or barbecue.
Top and tail the courgette and slice lengthways quite finely. Season with salt and pepper and add a drizzle of olive oil.
Put 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a small saucepan and heat over a very low heat. Add the chopped chilli and cook very gently for about 3 minutes. Set aside to allow the oil to infuse with some of the heat of the chilli.
Slice the mango around the stone, remove the skin and chop roughly. Set aside.
Place the prawns in a dish, drizzle a little olive oil over them, season with salt and pepper and place on the hot chargrill or barbecue (you can use skewers if easier). Cook, turning them a couple of times, for 4–6 minutes, or until they change colour and firm up a little. Remove and cook the courgette slices in the same way for 3 minutes. Remove the courgettes and place the pittas on the grill to warm up. When warm, roughly chop them into pieces.
Put the courgettes and mango together in a bowl and dress with the warm chilli oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Arrange the salad on serving plates, adding the prawn on top. Squeeze some lemon juice over, divide the pitta pieces among the plates, sprinkle with the lemon zest and serve.
◁ FIGS, BLUE CHEESE, PECANS, CRACKED WHEAT, ROCKET
Figs are great dried, made into jams or used in desserts, but you can’t beat a fresh fig when it’s in its prime. The strong flavour of the blue cheese and the sweet figs go really well together. Any blue cheese works in this recipe, but we recommend a creamy one such as dolcelatte or gorgonzola. The cracked wheat turns this dish into a wholesome and substantial meal, but you can leave it out if you’re making an elegant starter.
- 200g/7oz/1 cup cracked wheat
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 large ripe figs
- 50g/1 3/4oz/1/3 cup pecan nuts
- 120g/4oz good-quality blue cheese
- 100g/3 1/2oz rocket (arugula)
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serves 4
DRESSING SUGGESTION
Place the cracked wheat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and heat over a low heat. Pour in 400ml/14fl oz/ 1 3/4 fl oz water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes or so until the wheat puffs up. Remove from the heat, separate the grains with a fork and leave to cool.
Cut the figs into quarters, then, using your hands, break the pecans into pieces. Do the same with the cheese and place everything into a large bowl. Add the rocket and mix together.
Add the lemon juice and some extra-virgin olive oil, then carefully add the cracked wheat. Mix thoroughly, then season to taste, adding a bit more olive oil if you like, and serve.
◁ GRILLED POUSSIN, SUMAC, ROCKET, CHICKPEAS, POMEGRANATE
Poussin, or baby chicken, is a great alternative if you don’t want to cook a whole chicken. Most butchers have it these days (and can spatchcock it for you), although chicken drumsticks and thighs would be an alternative. We marinate the poussin with sumac and olive oil and then drizzle a bit of pomegranate molasses over the bird once it’s cooked. This adds a wonderful sharpness to the smoky grilled meat.
FOR THE POUSSIN
- 4 poussins, spatchcocked
- 1 tbsp sumac
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- 100ml/3 1/2fl oz olive oil
- 4 thyme sprigs
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE SALAD
- 500g/1lb 2oz/3 cups cooked or tinned chickpeas
- 2 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
- 2 pomegranates, deseeded
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 200g/7oz rocket (arugula)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serves 4
DRESSING SUGGESTION
Place the poussin in a large shallow bowl, add the remaining ingredients, except the salt, and turn the poussin until it is coated in the marinade. Cover with clingfilm and leave to marinate in the fridge for 2–6 hours.
Meanwhile, in another large bowl, mix the chickpeas, spring onions, pomegranate seeds and olive oil together. Set aside.
Take the poussins out the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat a chargrill pan, griddle pan or barbecue.
Once the poussins have come up to room temperature, place them skin-side down on the hot chargrill or barbecue. After a few minutes, gently begin to lift one of them from the surface: if it moves easily then shift them a little on the grill to brown more of the skin.
When the poussins are well browned on the skin-side, flip them over and either move them to a slightly cooler part of the grill or barbecue and cover with a large lid or put them in an ovenproof pan or dish and place in a hot oven, skin-side up. Cook for a further 8–10 minutes, or until the poussins are cooked through and the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into the thickest part of the meat.
Remove the poussins from the heat, cover loosely with foil and leave them to rest for 5 minutes.
Add the rocket leaves to the rest of the salad ingredients, squeeze the lemon juice over and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and arrange the salad on serving plates.
Cut each bird into 4 pieces, first removing the legs then halving each of the remaining pieces through the centre of the breast. Place the pieces on top of the salad and drizzle some extra pomegranate molasses over the whole dish, then serve.
◁ BARBECUED LAMB, AUBERGINE, PEPPERS, MINT YOGHURT, RED CHARD
There is nothing better than a barbecue on a hot day. The lamb is the star of this dish and cutlets are ideal cuts to use on the grill because the meat is very tender when cooked to the right temperature (preferably not over 60°C/140°F). It’s best served pink and only needs a few minutes cooking on each side.
- 8 rib rack of lamb or 8 lamb cutlets
- 6 baby aubergines (eggplant)
- 1 yellow (bell) pepper
- 1 red (bell) pepper
- 1 green (bell) pepper
- rock salt
- 1–2 tbsp olive oil
- 200g/7oz red chard
- 1 tbsp extra virign olive oil
- 150g/5 1/2oz/2/3 cup Greek-style yoghurt
- 30g/1oz mint, finely chopped
- 1/2 lemon
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serves 4
Preheat a barbecue. Separate the lamb cutlets by slicing in between each bone, or use pre-cut cutlets from the butcher.
Remove the green stalks from the aubergines and cut the aubergines lengthways into halves. Remove the stalks from the peppers and remove the seeds. Cut into equal-sized squares and place the vegetables in a dish together with the lamb cutlets. Season with rock salt and black pepper and drizzle over 1–2 tablespoons olive oil. Put everything on the barbecue grill. Cook, turning frequently. Keep an eye on the lamb, as the fat tends to burn easily and spit.
After about 6–8 minutes remove all the vegetables and lamb from the grill. Let the lamb rest on a piece of foil to collect the juices and put the vegetables into a bowl to cool slightly.
Remove the stalks from the red chard, wash if necessary and roughly chop. Place into a bowl, then season with the extra-virgin olive oil and salt. Set aside.
In a bowl, whisk the yoghurt with the mint, some salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon water to loosen it. Squeeze the lemon over the grilled vegetables and toss them through the chard leaves. Mix until everything is combined.
Arrange the salad on serving plates, adding 2 lamb cutlets per person. Pour any resting juices over the top and serve a dollop of the mint yoghurt on top.
◁ SEARED TUNA FILLET, CHERRY TOMATOES, CAPERS, RED ONION, BASIL, CROUTONS
The tomato salad here takes inspiration from a classic Italian dish called panzanella. It’s a Tuscan salad with tomato and bread and it’s a seasonal mainstay at our stall. We love it with red onion, capers and basil – it’s perfect with fresh tuna, but also good as a little side dish.
- 1/2 loaf unsliced white bread
- 100ml/3 1/2fl oz/scant 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 150g/5 1/2oz cherry tomatoes
- 30g/1oz basil, chopped
- 1 tbsp small capers
- 1/2 red onion, very finely diced
- 30ml/1fl oz/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 3 red (bell) peppers
- 4 tuna fillets, about 200g/7oz each
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serves 4
DRESSING SUGGESTION
First, make the panzanella. Preheat the oven to 120°C/250°F/gas mark 1/2. Stale bread is best for making croutons. Cut the bread into roughly 1cm/1/2in cubes and place on a baking tray. Cook in the oven for about 1 hour, or until the bread is completely dry. Remove from the oven and drizzle the croutons with a little extra-virgin olive oil. Season with salt and leave to cool.
Halve the cherry tomatoes and put them in a large bowl with the croutons, basil, capers and red onion. Pour in the red wine vinegar and olive oil, mix well, add the sea salt and set aside. The tomatoes need time to macerate and the croutons need to soak up a good deal of the liquid.
Preheat the grill to high. Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and cook, skin-side up, under the hot grill for about 15 minutes until they char and soften. Most of the skin will lift away from the peppers, so discard the bits that are easy to remove, but leaving a little gives a nice smoky edge to the flavour. Cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Season the fish with salt and pepper and brush with a little vegetable oil. Place them into the hot pan and sear each side for about 40 seconds to 1 minute. Don’t be tempted to add extra oil to the pan as they will be too difficult to handle and will overcook. When cooked, remove and cut into 5mm/ 1/4 in slices, then arrange on plates with the panzanella and peppers.
◁ OVEN ROASTED RIVER TROUT, NEW POTATOES, CUCUMBER, ROE, SOUR CREAM, DILL
The potato salad in this recipe was inspired by a dish Kristina’s mother used to make. In Sweden, fish roe is commonly used and you can find many different varieties in the supermarkets. It adds a lovely saltiness and flavour and works in sauces or as a topping on a prawn sandwich. The earthiness of new-season potatoes with fresh fish makes for a great combo. Ask your fishmonger to clean and scale the fish before you buy it to save time.
- 600g/1 1/4lb new potatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 150g/5 1/2oz/2/3 cup sour cream
- 80g/3oz salmon roe
- 30g/1oz dill, finely chopped
- 2 whole river trouts
- 3 rosemary sprigs
- 2 lemons, 1 lemon sliced
- rock salt
- 30ml/1fl oz/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serves 4
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan filled with cold water. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 12–15 minutes, or until they just give when tested with the point of a sharp knife. Drain and set aside: they will continue to soften as they cool.
Cut the cucumber in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and discard. Slice the cucumber into thin diagonal strips.
Put the sour cream into a bowl, then add the cucumber, salmon roe and dill. Mix well. Slice the potatoes in half and add to the sour cream mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
Remove the head of the trouts, score them with a sharp knife and place a sprig of rosemary and a slice of lemon in each score (reserve 1 lemon for later). Season with rock salt and black pepper and brush with half the olive oil. Put the fish on a baking tray and place in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes. Check if the fish is done by inserting a knife at the thickest part of the fish – it should come out hot to touch, and the flesh should be opaque. Once it is ready, remove from the oven and divide the potato salad among serving plates. Place a piece of fish on to each plate, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and add a lemon wedge.
◁ SMOKED MACKEREL, ROAST BEETROOT, QUINOA, PEA SHOOTS, HORSERADISH CREAM
This is another one of our classic Savage Salads dishes and it’s one of the most popular ever among our customers. Horseradish and beetroot work brilliantly together, and the mackerel gives everything a smoky flavour, as well as adding protein together with the quinoa. Quinoa has a lovely nutty taste, but if you want even more nuttiness, throw in some pumpkin seeds or walnuts.
- 2 large beetroots
- 500g/1lb 2oz/3 cups quinoa
- 1/2 tbsp fresh horseradish
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 200ml/7fl oz/scant 1 cup double (heavy) cream
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 500g/1lb 2oz smoked mackerel fillets
- squeeze of lemon juice
- 50g/1 3/4oz pea shoots
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serves 4
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Wrap the beetroots individually in foil, adding 1 tablespoon of water to each, and roast them in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven but don’t unwrap them yet.
Bring 700ml/23 fl oz/scant 3 cups slightly salted water to the boil in a pan. Add the quinoa, return to the boil for a few minutes, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring well a couple of times, so the quinoa doesn’t catch on the base of the pan.
Peel the horseradish then grate it and mix it in a food processor with a pinch of salt and the white wine vinegar. Transfer to a bowl, add the cream and beat the mixture together until soft peaks form. Season to taste and set aside.
Unwrap and peel the beetroots by hand – the skins should come off quite easily – then cut each in half then into wedges. Mix the beetroot with the quinoa. Add a glug of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season well and arrange on serving plates.
Break the mackerel fillets by hand, discarding the skin as you go, and dress the fish with lemon juice and top with pea shoots. Top each plate with the fish and serve with the horseradish cream.
◁ GRILLED CHORIZO, FRESH CORN, BLACK BEANS, AVOCADO, CORIANDER, LIME, SHALLOTS
When sweetcorn is in season it’s easy to find and not at all expensive – fresh corn on the cob is much sweeter and crunchier than tinned corn and it really makes a difference. You can have this Mexican-inspired dish as a salad, or a tasty filling for a tortilla wrap.
- 500g/1lb 2oz/3 cups dried black beans (or use tinned black beans, drained)
- 4 corn on the cob
- 2 large ripe hass avocados
- 600g/1 1/4lb cooking chorizo (about 8 sausages)
- 1 banana shallot, finely chopped
- 30g/1oz coriander (cilantro), chopped
- 1 lime
- extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serves 4
DRESSING SUGGESTION
Soak the dried black beans in 2 litres/3 1/2 pints/8 cups cold water overnight. The next day, drain and rinse then put them into a large pan with 2 litres fresh cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for a further 1 1/2–2 hours, or until they are soft and almost ready to break apart. Drain, refresh in cold water and set aside. As a quicker alternative, use tinned beans.
Preheat the grill to medium. Remove any stem from each corn cob with a sturdy knife, so that they can easily be held vertically on the work surface. Slicing against the corn from top to bottom, carefully cut away the kernels. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the corn kernels and blanch for 2 minutes, then drain and refresh under cold running water.
Cut the avocados in half, then working your way around the stone, scoop out the flesh and chop into bite-sized pieces.
Score the chorizo. Place under the grill for 10 minutes, or until it sizzles and spits. Alternatively, cook it on a griddle pan until the fat starts to render and is chars.
Place all the ingredients, except the chorizo, lime and olive oil, in a bowl and mix well. Grate the zest from the lime into the bowl, then cut in half and squeeze the juice in as well. Season to taste with salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil over the top. Divide the salad among serving plates, arranging the cooked chorizo over the top.
◁ WHITE CRAB, CHILLI OIL, AVOCADO, RED ONION, LIME, CHIVES
Unless you’re unfamiliar with preparing and cooking a live crab, the best thing to do is buy picked white crab meat from your local fishmonger. This will save you a lot of time and work when making this dish. You can pair this salad with some toasted sourdough, or better yet see if you can get your hands on some Sardinian flatbread (known as pane carasau) from an Italian deli. Or skip the bread altogether and enjoy with a handful of wild rocket.
- 1 long red chilli, cut lengthways and deseeded
- 100ml/3 1/2fl oz/scant 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 large ripe avocados
- 1 red onion
- 6 chive stalks, finely chopped
- 500g/1lb 2oz white crab meat
- 1 lime
- salt
Serves 4
Slice the chilli into fine strips, then bunch the strips together and very finely dice.
Warm the olive oil in a pan over a low-medium heat. Add the diced chilli and leave on the heat for about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overheat – you don’t want to see the oil bubbling away. Set aside for around 20 minutes or until the olive oil is infused with some of the heat of the chilli.
Cut the avocados in half, remove the stones and scoop out the flesh with a spoon before slicing the flesh into about 5mm/1/4in thick slices.
Chop the red onion finely and put in a bowl together with chives, crabmeat and avocado slices. Finely grate the zest of the lime into the mixture before squeezing in the lime juice. Season with a little salt and mix everything together.
Serve the salad with a drizzle of the chilli oil on top.
blitzed salad
◁ BEETROOT AND TOMATO GAZPACHO
If you’re a fan of traditional gazpacho you should give this one a try. The trick is to use good ingredients including raw beetroot – the pre-packed ones can be preserved in vinegar, so lose their lovely sweet flavour.
- 1kg/2 1/4lb beetroot
- 1kg/2 1/4lb vine tomatoes
- 2 celery sticks
- 1 small red onion
- 1 cucumber
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves; crushed on the back of a knife
- 500ml/18fl oz/2 cups good-quality tomato juice
- 200g/7oz sturdy, stale bread, such as sourdough
- 2 tsp sherry vinegar
- dash of Tabasco sauce
- 100ml/3 1/2fl oz/scant 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serves 4
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Line an oven tray with foil. Add a little water to the tray, as this will steam the beetroot while roasting. Place the beetroots in the tray, cover with foil, making sure the tray is airtight, and roast in the oven for 2 hours. Roasting the beetroots instead of boiling them will give them a much deeper flavour.
Chop all the remaining vegetables roughly into 5cm/2in pieces and place on a tray. Add the chilli and garlic and mix well, then season with sea salt. Place in the fridge and leave until you are ready to blend all the ingredients together. This will help the vegetables to release some of their juices, resulting in a better flavour.
Test the beetroots with a knife to make sure they are cooked. When done, there should be little resistance. Remove from the oven and leave until cool enough to handle. Peel off the skins and discard, then place them in the fridge until completely cool.
When all the vegetables are cool, transfer them to a blender and add the tomato juice, bread and sherry vinegar. Blend until completely smooth. You can do this in 2 or 3 batches if needed.
Next, strain the mixture through a colander to remove any pulp. Don’t use a fine sieve, as we want to retain some of the ‘body’ given by the bread. Aim for a smooth drinkable consistency – add more tomato juice if needed. Season to taste with fine sea salt, ground black pepper and Tabasco sauce. Finally, whisk in the olive oil until fully incorporated. Refrigerate the gazpacho until completely cold, then serve in chilled glasses.