mirgraphy

I have a confession of sort. If I can kidnap one person and somehow inhale their talent by means both fair and foul that person will be Yotam Ottolenghi. I only start cracking open his Plenty More book and it’s amazing to be pleasantly surprised by the originality of the recipe that made them an instant hit to be added to the mental go-to recipe.

Yes it’s raining at the moment and some type of hearty stew is likely to be in order. However if you are looking for a refreshing easy spring salad this one is a must try. The secret of this salad is making sure your vegetables are not boiled to death. I love the sauce, the sweet tahini dressing gives this dish a lovely nutty flavour.

Vegetable Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 300g purple sprouting broccoli (or broccolini)
• 120g french beans trimmed
• 180g snow peas, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 20g coriander leaves
• 2 1/2 tablespoons black and white sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 tsp. nigella seeds

Sauce Ingredients:

• 50g tablespoons paste
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon soy tamarind sauce
• 1/2  honey
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• salt for taste

Directions:

1. Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. You want the consistency to be smooth and thick but pourable, a bit like honey; add a tiny bit of extra water or tahini paste if needed to adjust thickness.

2. Trim off the broccoli leaves.  If the stems are thick, cut them lengthwise in half or in quarters so you are left with long, thinner stems, similar in proportion to the french beans

3. Bring a pot filled with plenty of unsalted water to a boil.  Blanche the french beans for about 4 minutes, until just cooked but still retaining a bite.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to a bowl and run under cold running water.  Remove, and then dry well with a tea towel.

4. In the same boiling water, blanch the snow peas for 2 minutes.  Using the slotted spoon to remove them from the water, then refresh and dry as before.  Repeat the same process with the broccoli, blanching it for 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Once all the vegetables are cooked and dry, mix them together in a bowl with the oil.  You can now serve the salad in two ways.

Option 1 Serving: Mix most of the coriander and seeds with the vegetables and pile up on a serving dish.  Pour the sauce on top and finish with the remaining coriander and seeds.

Option 2 Serving: Mix most of the coriander and seeds with the vegetables and pile up on a serving dish. Dot them with cilantro leaves and sprinkle with seeds, and serve with sauce in a bowl on the side.