THAI prawn and pink grapefruit salad

This recipe is based on my mate Simon Jukes' Thai salad. Since he has moved down the coast, I've had to put together my own version. 

In Thailand and Laos this dish is called Miang kham: which means 'eating many things in one bite'. The perfect name for this deliciously refreshing dish.

serves 2

2 pink grapefruit; suprêmes removed (segmented)

12 cooked prawns; shelled and de-veined

1 avocado; diced

½ medium red onion; finely diced

small handful coriander leaves; chopped

small handful basil leaves; chopped

1 tbsp dry roasted peanuts or cashew nuts; chopped - optional

to serve

a few young spinach leaves

for the dressing

2 limes; juice (kaffir if pos.)

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl - except the spinach leaves.

2. Take a spoonful; with a bit of everything, and place it on top of one of the spinach leaves.

3. Pick up a spinach leaf with its little pile of salad, roll it up and pop it in!

ทานให้อร่อย

Chicken Caesar Salad

First made by Caesar Cardini in Tijuana, Mexico on the 4th July 1924, allegedly. 

This version is egg-free and I have swapped the Romaine lettuce for baby mixed leaves. The next time I make this; I will be making it with limes, not lemons... apparently an error in translating the recipe from Spanish into English!

serves 2

300g chicken breast; sliced
100g pan de pueblo or ciabatta; sliced
2 sprigs of dried rosemary
olive oil
Maldon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

~70g mixed baby leaves and rocket

for the dressing
1x 125g pot of plain yoghurt
1 garlic clove
4 anchovy fillets
1 lemon; juice only
120ml olive oil; you want a 3:1 mix - oil to lemon juice
90g Parmesan; finely grated

1. Heat a griddle pan or any heavy bottomed pan. Drizzle in a little olive oil and sprinkle over a few fronds of rosemary.
2. Season the chicken and cook in the griddle pan over a moderate heat until they have nicely browned lines and no visible pinkness. This will take 3 to 5 minutes per side; depending on the thickness of your slices.
3. When the chicken is cooked; remove to one side.

meanwhile...

4. In a separate pan: drizzle in a little olive oil with another sprinkle of rosemary. Cook the bread slices until they are crisp and golden on both sides. Remove to one side.

now for the dressing...

5. Finely chop the garlic and anchovy together. Then, using a little salt and the side of the knife, crush into a paste.
6. Mix well with the remaining ingredients.
7. Break up the bread; roughly cut up the chicken, lay over the salad leaves, dress and toss...

εύγευστος Greek salad with watermelon

Greece is great: from the evzones, and their particular form of marching, to culinary geniuses like this salad. And, as with all dishes, if made with love, it is transformed ... 
serves 2

½ red onion; finely sliced 
5 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp red mine vinegar
3 ripe tomatoes; roughly chopped
A good pinch of Maldon sea salt
A pinch of caster sugar
1 chilled, Spanish cucumber (prickly -200g); peeled and roughly chopped
1 tbsp capers; drained
20-30 black olives
1 tsp dried oregano
100g Queso fresco / feta
450g chilled watermelon


1. Use a mandolin to slice the onion finely. Whisk the vinegar with 3 tablespoons of the oil and pour over the onions and set aside for ~20 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl; add the tomatoes and sprinkle over the sugar and salt: put to one side.

~20 minutes later...

3. Gently squeeze the tomatoes and remove them to the onion bowl; retaining all the lovely tomato juices. This will for the dressing.
4. Add the remainder of the ingredients.
5. Whisk the last 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the tomato juices and pour over the salad.
6. Gently toss before serving.
7. εύγευστος!

Panzanella

This thrifty Tuscan tomato salad will have you deliberately buying too much bread. And, waiting for it to go stale.

serves 2+

8 ripe tomatoes: any mix you like. I used Italian plum; peeled.

1/2 red onion; finely sliced

1 yellow pepper

1 red pepper

2 tbsp capers

Maldon sea salt

200g good, stale bread: sourdough is great.

4 tbsp of good quality red or white wine vinegar

handful of black olives de Aragon

a healthy bunch of basil

for the dressing

4 tbsp good olive oil

Maldon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Using a mandolin or good knife skills; finely slice the onion. Place it in a bowl with a pinch of salt and just cover with cold water. Leave for between 30 and 60 minutes.

N.B. this will reduce the bite and after-taste of the onion.

2. Place the peppers over the open flames of your hob. Turning occasionally with tongs until they are blackened all over. Remove to an adequately sized bowl and cover with film. Leave to one side for 20 minutes to steam.

3. Rinse and cut your tomatoes into gachos; lightly season and place in a colander over a bowl.

4. Break the bread in similar sized pieces... to the tomatoes!

5. In a salad bowl; add the bread pieces and sprinkle over the vinegar.

6. Drain the onions and add them to the bowl along with the capers.

7. Remove the blackened skins from the peppers: they should come off with a light rub.

8. Take the peppers and carefully open them over the tomatoes (using a sieve to catch any seeds); tip the flavoursome juice in.

9. Then, remove the stalks, seed bulbs and any remaining loose seeds. Cut the peppers into fine strips and add to the salad bowl.

10. Gently squeeze the tomatoes before adding them to the bowl.

11. Add the olives and tear in the basil leaves.

now, for the dressing...

12. In the bowl from the tomatoes you will find the lovely tomato liquid which will form the base of our dressing. Season this liquid and whisk in the olive oil. Pour it over the salad; toss and enjoy.

Full English Salad / Ensalada de Desayuno Inglés

serves 2

2 Free-range eggs

2 drops of vinegar

4 rashers of Oscar Mayer Bacon

6 slices of Morcilla de Burgos

5 cherry tomatoes

2 handfuls of mixed leaves

50ml olive oil

6 slices of bread

Freshly ground black pepper

Maldon sea salt

for the dressing

1 ripe tomato; finely grated, skins discarded

3 drops of Worcester Sauce

1 tbsp Jerez vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Maldon sea salt

1. In a large heavy-bottomed pan, heat the olive oil. Once hot, place the bread slices in: they will absorb some of the oil and crisp up. Turn the fried bread over; adding more oil if necessary. Set aside and keep warm.

2.  In the same pan, fry the bacon and morcilla until nicely browned.  Set aside and keep warm.

now the dressing...

3. Put all the ingredients into a clean jar; put the lid on a shake. Adjust seasoning to taste. Chill in the fridge.

now...

4. Arrange the leaves on the plates and add the tomato halves; season to taste... this way you will have less plating up to do when the eggs are ready.

5. Bring a medium sized saucepan of water to the boil. 

6. Take the eggs out of the fridge and break one into a cup or small jug; add a drop of vinegar.

N.B. The vinegar will help the egg white stay together in the water.

7. Using a whisk, carefully stir the water to create a vortex; then gently tip in the egg: as near the centre as possible. Leave to cook for 3 minutes. Get the second egg ready.

8. Once the 3 minutes are up, remove the egg with a slotted spoon and set aside while you poach the other egg.

9. Finish the plating up and after shaking up the dressing; drizzle around the outside of the dish.

Prawn & Cigala Cocktail / Cóctel de Gambas y Cigalas

serves 2

6 Raw fresh prawns

10 Raw fresh cigalas

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp Jerez vinegar

2 little gem lettuces

½ green pepper

a pinch smoked paprika

chives

for the Marie Rose sauce

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3 tbsp tomato ketchup

few drops Tabasco sauce

2 pinches smoked paprika

¼ tsp sweet paprika

1 tbsp cream

4 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp Brandy (I used a Valencian Orange brandy)

2 pinches Maldon sea salt

2 turns Freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the teaspoon of lemon juice and vinegar.

2. Carefully drop in the prawns and cigalas; and when they rise to the surface, drain and remove them to a bowl of iced water to chill.

3. Peel the cooled prawns and remove the digestive tract.

4. Select your serving dishes; and arrange a row of upright leaves around the inside edge.

5. Finely chop the remainder of the little gems to make a bed in the centre.

6. Finely dice the green pepper and lay that on top.

7. Carefully arrange the pawns and cigalas.

for the Marie Rose sauce...

8. Put all the ingredients into a bowl and combine well; adjusting Tabasco, paprika and seasoning to taste.

9. Spoon over the sauce. Then, top with a pinch of paprika and a sprinkle of chopped chives.

Fig, Ricotta and Cherry Tomato Salad / Ensalada de Higos, Ricotta y Tomates Cherry

serves 2

I have a fig tree on the balcony...

4 fresh figs

5 Cherry tomatoes; cut in half, length ways

150g Ricotta or Requeson

~75g mixed young salad leaves

good olive oil

fresh lemon juice

Maldon sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

1. Rinse the figs and tomatoes; cross cut the figs and gently press down to open them up a bit.

2. Make a bed of the leaves lay the tomatoes and figs on top.

3. Use a spoon to make loose quinelles: lay them in-between the figs.

4. Season before dressing with the olive oil and lemon juice.

Ensalada de Verano / Spanish Summer Salad

serves 2-4

You can find this salad in most tapas bars at this time of year. With the addition of some waxy new potatoes and cachos of red and green pepper, you can turn the Murcian Salad into the Summer Salad. This salad is even better the following day; giving the tomatoes more time to release more liquid.

7 ripe tomatoes

25 Manzanilla olives

1 red onion

2 x 80g tins of tuna

3 free-range eggs

3 tbsp olive oil

200g new potatoes

½ red pepper

½ green pepper

Maldon sea salt

1. Cut the onion into quarters and place in a bowl of salted water: this will reduce its strength. 

2. Cut the potatoes so you end up with similar sized pieces. Put them into a pan with cold water and bring to the boil. Carefully add the eggs; and boil for ten minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into uneven pieces ( see Ensalada Murciana*).

4. Add the olives.

5. Drain and add the tuna.

6. Drain the onion; and cut into uneven pieces.

7. Drain the eggs and potatoes; then, immediately cool under cold running water: this will stop the cooking process and, more importantly, stop a green film forming around the egg yolk.

8. When the eggs are completely cool; carefully shell and cut into uneven pieces. Add to the salad along with roughly the chopped peppers.

9. Season well and drizzle over the oil.

10. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

11. Serve with fresh bread to mop up the juices.

Ensalada Murciana / Murcian Salad

serves 2

7 ripe tomatoes

25 Manzanilla olives

1 red onion

2 x 80g tins of tuna

3 free-range eggs

3 tbsp olive oil

Maldon sea salt

1. Cut the onion into quarters and place in a bowl of salted water: this will reduce its strength. 

2. Put a pan of water on to boil. Carefully add the eggs; and boil for ten minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into uneven pieces ( this is the traditional way to cut vegetables*).

4. Add the olives.

5. Drain and add the tuna.

6. Drain the onion; and cut into uneven pieces.

7. Drain the eggs and immediatly cool under cold running water: this will stop the cooking process and, more importantly, stop a green film forming over the egg yolk.

8. When the eggs are completely cool; carefully shell and cut into uneven pieces.

9. Season well and drizzle over the oil.

10. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

11. Serve with fresh bread to mop up the juices.

* To cut the uneven slices (cachos): hold the item in one hand and the knife in the other as if paring, but cutting off small pieces.

Roasted Onion Salad with Pomegranate Dressing / Ensalada de Cebollas a la Parrilla con aliño de Granada

Roasted Onion Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

serves 4

7 onions: new season / red / spring
½ pomegranate
a few fresh peppermint leaves

for the dressing
½ pomegranate
1 garlic clove
5 tbsp olive oil
Maldon sea salt 
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the onions on the BBQ until they are blackened and soft.
2. Remove from the BBQ a set aside to cool a little.
3. Using a fine sieve; squeeze the pomegranate seeds over a bowl. Mix the juice with the oil and season to taste.
4. Remove the soft onions from their blackened shells. Halve or quarter as necessary.
5. Scatter over the remaining seeds and torn peppermint leaves.
6. Transfer the dressing to clean jar, tighten the lid and shake before dressing your salad.

Beetroot Salad with Pistachio Sauce

Beetroot Salad with Pistachio Sauce

serves 2

1 raw beetroot

1 tbsp lemon juice

olive oil

1 tbsp of chopped flat leaf parsley

for the pistachio sauce

50g shelled pistachio

1/2 tbsp finely chopped peppermint

1 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

4 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp water

Malden sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Peel the beetroot and finely slice it using a mandolin.

2. Dress with the olive oil and lemon juice; and season.

3. Put all the ingredients for the sauce into a food processor and blend to a rough paste.

4. Season to taste.

5. Plate the beetroot and spoon over the sauce; finish with the chopped parsley.

Tzatziki

serves 2

1 cucumber

Maldon sea salt

1 garlic clove

500ml Yoghurt: goat's milk(unstrained)

a handful of fresh mint

olive oil

1. De-seed and chop the cucumber.

2. Place in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Leave for 5 minutes; this will extract some of the liquid from the cucumber.

3. Transfer the cucumber to a bowl; don't worry about rinsing as a lot of the salt would have drained off with the liquid.

4. Finely chop and add the garlic. 

5. Now you need to strain the yoghurt: do this with some muslin to remove some of the whey. 

N.B. This can be done the day before... Line a colander with muslin and pour in the yoghurt: fold over the over-hanging ends: Leave over a bowl in the fridge overnight. Discard the collected whey. The resulting labnah will be wonderfully creamy.

6. Add the strained yoghurt to the bowl and incorporate the mint leaves.

7. Correct the seasoning if necessary.

8. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Beetroot Slaw

serves 5 (side)

2 large beetroots

200g red cabbage

1 granny smith apple

2 spring onions

200g mayonnaise

1 tbsp Colman's  horseradish sauce

1 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard

50g  raisins

25 ml milk

Maldon sea salt

freshly ground white pepper

A handful chopped chives

1. Grate the beetroots and apple; finely slice the cabbage and spring onion, and combine all the blue  ingredients in a large bowl. 

2. When the ingredients are combined add the milk to loosen the mixture and season well.

3. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover with the chopped chives.

4.  Chill in the fridge.

Summer Salad with Tomato consommé and Tapenade

seves 5 (side dish)

for the consommé

5 large ripe tomatoes

a few drops of Worcester Sauce

a sprig of Basil

for the tapanade

150g black olives, de-stoned

3 tbsp capers

1 small garlic clove

olive oil

for the salad

450g mixed tomatoes

½ small fennel bulb

3 radishes

Maldon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

a handful of small basil leaves

for the consommé

N.B. You need to start this the day before you want to serve this dish.

1. Place the tomatoes in a food processor or blender. 

2. Blend well and transfer the liquid to a muslin cloth-lined colander.

3. Bring the edges of the cloth together and tie with a length of string.

4. Suspend the cloth bag over a bowl in your fridge and leave for 6-10 hours.

5. Finely chop the basil and leave to infuse for about 15 minutes.

6. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve ( to remove the chopped basil), season with the Worcester Sauce and reserve.

for the tapanade

7. Put the olives, capers and garlic clove in a food processor; blend whilst drizzling in the olive oil until you have a paste.

to plate up

8. Cut the tomatoes depending on size; halve or quarter. Finely slice the fennel and radish: Season well.

9. Centre the tomatoes, fennel and radish in a serving bowl. Pour over the consommé

10. Finish with a quenelle of tapanade and sprinkle over some baby basil leaves.

11. Serve chilled in small glass bowls.

Ensaladilla Rusa

The Ensaladilla Rusa started life in the 1860's in  the Hermitage restaurant in Moscow; it has very little in common with the modern version. M. Lucién Olivier's version included seafood and cold meats.                                                   During Franco's dictatorship (1936-1976) the Ensaladilla Rusa was renamed Ensaladilla Nacional

Nowadays when you order an ensaladilla rusa in a bar it is made with frozen diced veg and a generic mayonnaise. This is my attempt to elevate this humble dish.

serves 15 (tapa) 
for the veg. 
3 carrots
2 parsnips
1 swede
2 large white-fleshed potatoes
1 beetroot
100g freshly shelled green peas
100g green string beans

3 fresh free-range eggs
3X  100g tinned tuna


for the mayonnaise x2
3 egg yolks 
2 tsp Colman's ready-made English mustard
1 tbsp vinegar from a pickled veg jar 
520ml vegetable oil (low acidity)
50ml virgin olive oil
1 tsp Worcester Sauce 
Maldon sea salt 
Freshly ground white pepper

for the decoration

anchovy fillets

pitted olives

salmon eggs

radishes

for the veg.

1. Dice all the vegetables (not the peas!) to 7-10mm.

2. In pan Nº1 place the diced carrot, parsnip, swede and potato with enough salted water to cover, on to boil. Once it reaches boiling point it will need 17 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold water.

3. In pan Nº2 place the diced beetroot ... so the rest of the vegetables don't end up pink! Again start with cold water, and boil for 17 minutes; then refresh with cold water.

4. In pan Nº3, put salted water on to boil. Once boiling, add the peas and beans and boil for 5 minutes. Then refresh in cold water.

5. Boil the eggs for 10 minutes, drain and cool quickly in cold water to prevent the outside of the yolk turning green.

6. Drain all the veg and transfer to separate bowls; cover with film and store in the fridge until you are ready for the mix.

for the mayonnaise

This can be made by hand, with a hand blender or in a food processor - by hand is a good work-out!

1. Put the egg yolks in a large bowl with the mustard and the vinegar. Whisk to combine.

2. Mix the 2 oils together. Add a small drizzle of oil to the yolk mixture and whisk in. Continue to add small quantities whilst whisking.

n.b. What you are doing is creating an emulsion; dispersing and suspending minute droplets of oil in the egg yolks and the lecithin in the yolks act as an emulsifier.

3. After a while the mixture will begin to thicken and lighten in colour (due to the air being whisked in); now you can be a bit bolder with the oil. Continue to add the oil until you have used up the oil.

4. You should now have a thick and creamy mayonnaise. Season with the Worcester Sauce, salt and white pepper to taste. I also like to add an extra teaspoon or 2 of vinegar.

The mix

1. Mix the vegetables together with the chopped egg and drained tuna and then add the mayonnaise.

2. Correct the seasoning if necessary.

3. Plate up and shape using spatulas, palette knifes...

4. Decorate at will!

5. Serve with breadsticks

super sexy salad

serves 2!

1 good Italian Mozzarella ball
5 ripe black or green figs
7 vine ripened tomatoes
5 thin slices of good dry-cured ham
a handful of fresh basil
a glug of good quality olive oil (my fave is Picual)
a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut up the tomatoes. Tear up the ham, mozzarella and basil leaves. Then cut a cross in the top of the figs and using your thumb and index finger, squeeze open. Dress the salad and enjoy...

Trout Super Salad

 serves 2

5 tbsp Bulgar wheat

10 small broccoli florets

1 whole, cleaned trout

5 handfuls of mixed leaves  (frisee, radicchio and watercress)

3 vine-ripened tomatoes

110g frozen peas

1 lemon

2 glugs of olive oil

3 tbsp alioli

3 tbsp Greek yoghurt

3 tbsp toasted pipas (sunflower seeds)

1 handful of chopped parsley

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.Preheat the oven to 220ºc
2.Rinse the fish and pat dry. Into the cavity goes 3 bay leaves and a good grind of freshly ground black pepper.

3.Place on a sheet of grease-proof paper on tin foil and scrunch up the joined edges to form a parcel tightly enclosing the fish.

4.Bake the trout en papillote in the oven for about 15 minutes. Leave to cool a little before opening the parcel and removing the fillets from the bone.
5.Bring a small pan of lightly salty water to the boil. Add the Bulgar wheat and boil for 1 minute, turn off the gas and cover.
6.In a large bowl mix the broccoli, peas, lettuce leaves and tomatoes. dress with the sea salt, pepper, juice of 1 half of the lemon and the olive oil. Toss
7.Drain the Bulgar wheat and add it to the salad mix along with the toasted pipas.
8.Divide between 2 plates and lay the fillets on top.
9.Mix the alioli and Greek yoghurt together and liberally dress you salad. Finish with a wedge of lemon.