DARINA ALLEN SALAD and DRESSING RECIPES Ballymaloe
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1 DARINA ALLEN SALAD AND DRESSING RECIPES Ballymaloe French Dressing 50ml (2fl oz) white wine vinegar 150ml (6fl oz) extra virgin olive oil or a mixture of olive and other oils. e.g. sunflower 1 level teaspoon mustard (Dijon or English) 1 large clove of garlic, crushed 1 scallion or small spring onion sprig of parsley sprig of watercress 1 level teaspoon salt few grinds of pepper Put all the ingredients into a blender and run at medium speed for 1 minute approx. or mix oil and vinegar in a bowl, add mustard, salt, freshly ground pepper and mashed garlic. Chop the parsley, spring onion and watercress finely and add in. Whisk before serving. N.B Vital to put in correct amount of salt. Recipe taken from Ballymaloe Cookery Course by Darina Allen, published by Kyle Books Honey and Mustard Dressing 150ml (6fl oz) olive oil or a mixture of olive and other oils, e.g. sunflower 50ml (2fl oz) wine vinegar salt and freshly ground pepper 2 teaspoons honey 2 heaped teaspoons wholegrain honey mustard 2 cloves garlic Mix all the ingredients together and whisk well before use. Recipe taken from Ballymaloe Cookery Course by Darina Allen, published by Kyle Books 2 Shredded Chicken and Toasted Coconut Salad Serves 4-6 500g (18oz) shredded cooked free-range chicken 3 tablespoons finely shaved coconut, toasted – reserving a little to garnish 6 spring onions, finely sliced 2 red chillies, finely sliced 1 cucumber, peeled and julienned 3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, shredded 2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves 3 raw shallots, finely sliced 5 kaffir lime leaves, very finely shredded Dressing 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) coconut cream 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons palm sugar 3 tablespoons lime juice 1 red chili, thinly sliced 2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly chopped Garnish 6 shallots, finely sliced and fried Toast the shaved coconut in a dry pan stirring regularly until light golden brown. Slice the peeled shallots thinly. Spread out on kitchen paper and allow to dry out. Cook until golden and crisp in hot oil, moving them with a metal spoon as they cook. Drain on kitchen paper. For the dressing, mix all the ingredients together. Adjust the seasoning to taste with more fish sauce or lime juice accordingly. For the salad, mix together all the ingredients with some of the dressing. Pile high on the plate then sprinkle the fried shallots and some more toasted coconut shavings. Finish with a drizzle of the dressing and serve immediately. 3 Rocket Salad, Date and Roasted Almond with Pomegranate Molasses We stayed at L’Hôtel Marrakesh close to the Medina, a super chic Riad with just five beautiful rooms overlooking a little courtyard with a tiny heated pool. The food was delicious and the staff exceptionally kind and caring – one of my favourite places in the entire world. Serves 6 rocket leaves, coarsely chopped flat parsley leaves 12 Delgat Noor or 9 Medjool dates 75 (3oz) of unskinned almonds, slightly toasted (see recipe below) Dressing 3 tablespoons Pomegranate molasses 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar (we use Forum Chardonnay vinegar) 1 teaspoon of honey salt and freshly cracked black pepper Put the coarsely chopped rocket leaves (1- 1 1/2 pieces) and the flat parsley sprigs into a bowl. Stone each date and chop into 2 or 3 chunky pieces Chop the roasted almonds very coarsely. Make the pomegranate molasses dressing by whisking all the ingredients together, taste and add more honey if necessary. To serve, sprinkle some dressing over the rocket and parsley. Toss the dates and almonds, toss again. Taste and correct the seasoning, divide between plates and serve immediately. Roasted Almonds unskinned almonds extra virgin olive oil (optional) sea salt Preheat the oven to 180°C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Put the almonds onto a dry baking sheet, roast until nicely toasted – 10-15 minutes. Toss in olive oil and sea salt, cool. Try not to eat the lot! 4 Curried Chicken Salad with Mango and Roast Cashew Nuts I prefer to heat the curry powder in a pan first for 2-3 minutes to toast it and cook off the raw taste. Serves 8-10 700g (1 1/2lb) chicken breasts, poached and skinned then cut or torn into bite sized bits or brown meat from a roast chicken 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 mangoes peeled, stoned and cut into 1cm (1/2 inch) pieces 225g (8oz) chopped celery 4 chopped scallions including green part (cut at an angle) 110ml (4fl oz) natural yoghurt 110ml (4fl oz) homemade Mayonnaise 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cumin 150g (5oz) roasted cashew nuts (roast on a baking tray at 180°C/350°F for 10-12 minutes) 2 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander, optional Mix the cubed or torn, poached chicken in a large bowl with the freshly squeezed lemon juice, season well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the diced mango, celery and scallions. Whisk the yoghurt with the homemade mayonnaise, heat the cumin and toasted curry powder gently on a pan, add to the mayo and yoghurt. Mix everything together. Taste and correct seasoning. Just before serving, add the roasted cashew nuts, scatter with chopped coriander or parsley and serve. Recipe taken from Ballymaloe Cookery Course by Darina Allen, published by Kyle Books 5 Peach, Gorgonzola and Watercress Salad A gorgeous summer starter salad – made in minutes. A super way to use really ripe peaches. I find the combination of peaches and watercress irresistible. Here, one also has the saltiness of the blue cheese and freshness of the spring onions. If you like, you could chargrill the peaches first. Serves 8 4 ripe peaches or nectarines 2–3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice and a little honey, sprinkled over the peaches to stop them discolouring small watercress or rocket leaves 225g (8oz) blue cheese, such as Gorgonzola, Crozier or Wicklow Blue 110g (4oz) walnut halves, coarsely chopped 4 scallions or spring onions, thinly sliced For the dressing 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 6 tablespoons walnut oil 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard 1 teaspoon wildflower honey sea salt and freshly ground black pepper First make the dressing. Whisk all the ingredients together in a little bowl with a fork. Season to taste. Choose perfectly ripe peaches or nectarines. Slice in 6–8 pieces and sprinkle with freshly squeezed lemon juice and honey if not serving immediately. Scatter a few watercress sprigs or rocket leaves on each plate, tuck a few peach slices in here and there, crumble some Gorgonzola or other blue cheese over the top. Drizzle a little dressing over the salad, sprinkle some toasted walnuts and thinly sliced scallions or spring onions over the top. Serve immediately. Recipe taken from Grow, Cook, Nourish by Darina Allen, published by Kyle Books 6 Caramelized Carrot, Beetroot and Apple Salad A couple of bocconcini make this caramelised salad into a more substantial, and even tastier, dish. Serves 6 600g (1 1/4lb) young carrots, with a little green top 2 teaspoons thyme leaves extra virgin olive oil honey 25g (1oz) pumpkin or sesame seeds, toasted 450g (1lb) beetroot, cooked (see recipe), peeled and cut into wedges or chunks 1-2 dessert apples watercress, purslane and chickweed or a mixture of interesting leaves and ‘weeds’ sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Dressing 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon sesame oil 2 teaspoons honey 1-2 tablespoons chopped thyme leaves salt and freshly ground pepper Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8. Scrub the carrots, dry, split in half lengthwise, if too big. Put into a large bowl, add the thyme leaves, drizzle with the oil and honey, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, toss gently to coat. Spread out in a roasting tin. As soon as you put the tray into the oven reduce the temperature to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Roast for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally until the carrots are almost tender and caramelized at the ends and edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. To make the dressing, whisk the lemon juice, oils and honey together, add the thyme leaves an set half the dressing aside. Grate the apple directly into the remaining dressing. Toss, taste and adjust the seasoning. To serve, arrange a few sprigs of watercress, chickweed and purslane on each plate. Whisk the dressing. Sprinkle over the carrot and beets. Taste, it should be nice and perky. Divide them between the plates. Spoon some grated apple here and there, sprinkle with toasted seeds and serve with crusty bread. Recipe taken from Grow, Cook, Nourish by Darina Allen, published by Kyle Books 7 How to cook Beetroot Leave 5cm (2 inches) of leaf stalks on top and the whole root on the beet. Hold it under a running tap and wash off the mud with the palms of your hands, so that you don't damage the skin; otherwise the beetroot will bleed during cooking. Cover with cold water and add a little salt and sugar. Cover the pot, bring to the boil and simmer on top, or in an oven, for 1- 2 hours depending on size. Beetroot are usually cooked if the skin rubs off easily and if they dent when pressed with a finger. If in doubt test with a skewer or the tip of a knife. 8 Pearl Couscous with Gubbeen or Durrus Cheese, Pomegranate, Herbs, Cranberries and Cashew Nuts Serves 8 Pearl couscous is super versatile and a great base for a one-pot supper.