A plan for all seasons
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday October 6, 2009
As the weather warms, it's time to revamp the wardrobe and rethink the menu. If you're looking for lighter meals but are not quite ready to relinquish winter comfort food, warm salads are the answer.Many ingredients lend themselves to this trans-seasonal dining. Potatoes are great. Add a simple dressing while they're hot so they soak up the flavours. Roasted vegetables are wonderful served warm. Everything from beetroot to vines of cherry tomatoes, onions, capsicums and zucchini can be tossed with a little oil then roasted in the oven until tender, sweet and caramelised. Throw in some meat at the same time and dinner's done. And since the meat doesn't have to be served hot, there's no excuse to not rest it properly. As a guide, you should rest any meat for half the time you cooked it. The result will be moist, tender and succulent.Or skip the meat altogether and go vegetarian. Grilled goat cheese salad is a French classic. Toss in your choice of gourmet salad greens.Try experimenting with different oils and vinegars. Apart from a great olive oil, I love to add avocado oil or nut oils to salads. Top of my list for vinegars is good-quality, aged balsamic €“ sweet and syrupy with an intense flavour.Though perfect for spring, a warm salad is good at any time of year. Large, self-serve platters in the centre of the table make for relaxed entertaining.Warm salad nicoiseOne of my favourite salads, this is delicious served slightly warm. Kipfler potatoes have a wonderful flavour. Freshly grilled tuna and quality ingredients make a classic combination.300g kipfler potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks300g green beans, trimmed cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus4 tbsp2 tsp seeded mustard2 tbsp red wine vinegar1 cup black olives4 anchovies1 cup picked parsley leaves500g tuna filletsSalt and pepper to season4 eggsPlace potatoes in a pot, cover with water and bring to the boil. Remove from heat when tender, drain and set aside. Blanch beans in boiling water for a minute, then drain. Make dressing by mixing half a cup of olive oil, mustard and vinegar. Place potatoes and beans in a bowl and drizzle dressing over the top. Add olives, anchovies and parsley and toss. Drizzle tuna with remaining oil, season with salt and pepper and cook on a hot grill for a few minutes each side. Remove and rest, lightly covered.Bring a small pot of water to the boil, add eggs and cook for four minutes, for soft-boiled centres. Drain and peel.Slice tuna and place on top of the warm, dressed potatoes. Gently break the egg and serve with the salad.Serves 4Grilled goat cheese, roast beetroot and broad beansKeep the smaller beetroot leaves for the salad. Buy slices of aged goat cheese from your deli or cheese specialist. Alternatively, spread fresh goat cheese over the toast and quickly grill.1 bunch baby beetroot1 tbsp olive oil150g hazelnuts500g broad beans4 tbsp hazelnut oil1 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar, plus extra to drizzleSea salt and black pepper, freshly ground2 handfuls mixed salad leaves4 slices sourdough bread4 thick slices goat cheesePreheat oven to 180C. Trim beetroot ends, leaving one centimetre of stem. Pick a handful of the smaller leaves, wash and set aside.Place beetroot on an oven tray, drizzle with oil and cover with foil. Roast in oven for 35 minutes, until tender when pierced with a knife. Scatter hazelnuts on another oven tray and roast for a few minutes. Remove and rub off the skins with a clean tea towel.Remove beetroot from oven and peel while warm (wear kitchen gloves to avoid stained hands), as the skins will slip off easily.Pod broad beans and blanch in a pot of boiling water. Drain and remove beans' outer skin. In a medium bowl, whisk hazelnut oil with balsamic vinegar to make a simple dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Place salad and beetroot leaves in the bowl and gently toss to coat the leaves.Divide salad leaves between four serving plates. Add beetroot and scatter over broad beans and hazelnuts. Place sourdough slices under a grill to toast on one side. Turn over and lie goat cheese slices on top. Place under a grill for a few minutes until cheese starts to brown and melt slightly. Place on top of salad. Drizzle a little extra balsamic over the cheese, season with salt and pepper and serve.Serves 4Warm beef, roast tomatoes and capsicums with horseradish creamLook for mini capsicums as they are so sweet and you can roast them whole. The horseradish-cream recipe is based on one by Melbourne chef Andrew McConnell.30ml olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzlingBlack pepper, freshly ground500g piece beef eye fillet, trimmed175g mini capsicums1 red onion, cut into wedges250g truss tomatoes2 handfuls tatsoi lettuce (or other gourmet mixed leaves)1 tbsp capers, rinsedCelery leaves, crisp-fried to garnish (optional)3 tbsp good-quality mayonnaise3 tbsp sour cream1 tbsp horseradish (from a jar)1 tbsp lemon juiceSea salt and freshly groundwhite pepperPreheat oven to 200C. Rub oil and pepper all over beef fillet. Add beef to a heavy-based frypan over high heat and seal on all sides for four to five minutes. Remove and place on a roasting tray. Place capsicums and onion wedges in the frypan with a little extra oil and cook for five minutes until slightly softened. Place in roasting tray, add tomatoes on the vine and drizzle with a little extra oil. Cook vegetables in the oven with beef for eight minutes (medium rare). Remove beef and rest, leaving vegetables in the oven for a further 10 minutes until just softened.Scatter tatsoi over a serving platter and place roasted vegetables on top. Slice beef and arrange over the vegetables. Scatter capers and celery leaves over the top. Make horseradish cream by combining mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish and lemon juice. Season. Drizzle a little over the salad and serve extra in a jug.Serves 4
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald