Skip to main content

Another day another slaw. Josh Katz's Middle Eastern Slaw

I have already waxed lyrical about the Berber & Q cookery book. This is yet another example of why. This slaw will keep in the fridge for a few days so dont worry if you make a bit too much.

Goes brilliantly with the saffron chicken thighs
Serves 4-6 as a side
Ingredients
The dressing
1 tbsp maple syrup
1½ tbsp date syrup
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
100ml extra virgin olive oil
The slaw
½ head of red cabbage
1 tbsp salt
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
1 beetroot, peeled and ends trimmed
1 large carrot, peeled and ends trimmed
grated zest of 1 lemon
small handful of picked dill leaves, plus extra to garnish
2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
3 tbsp toasted and chopped pecans
small handful of pomegranate seeds

Method
First, make the dressing. Whisk the maple syrup, date syrup, pomegranate molasses and vinegar together in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until the mixture is emulsified, and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Cut the halved red cabbage in half again, peel off the outer layers, and cut out the core. Slice the cabbage as thinly as you can, preferably using a mandoline, but in the absence of one, a sharp knife and some handy knife skills will suffice.
Toss the shredded cabbage in the salt, ensuring it’s well mixed through. Set the cabbage in a colander over a sink, and place a heavy weight atop to act as a press – I like to use a small bowl filled with water for this – enabling the cabbage to release some of its juices and soften whilst retaining crunch.
Allow the cabbage to press for an hour, before transferring it to a large bowl with the onion and chilli. Thinly slice the beetroot and carrot into flat strips, using a mandoline (if available), or with a sharp knife, and cut each strip into matchsticks, about 10cm in length. Mix all the ingredients together in the bowl, along with the lemon zest, herbs and half the pecans and set aside, refrigerated, until ready to serve.
Dress the slaw just prior to serving, and toss well with your hands to ensure the salad is evenly coated. Garnish the salad with the reserved pecans, some picked dill fronds and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds.
This salad is excellent accompanied by some yogurt.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Crack potatoes courtesy of Ottolenghi. Harissa and confit garlic roast potatoes

Another recipe from Ottolenghi's Simple, another recommendation from Will Saunders.   I know its the middle of summer but who doesn't love a roastie? These little tinkers are so good that they are like crack, class A calories. The clever bit is the addition of semolina and caraway seeds which adds a new level of crunchiness to add to the delicious warm heat of Harissa. Heres the recipe These make a lovely, spicy change from the traditional Sunday roasties. They’re especially good with spiced roast meat. Serves six to eight. 2 large heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled 130g goose or duck fat 4 sprigs fresh rosemary  6 sprigs fresh thyme  2kg maris piper potatoes, peeled and cut into 5cm chunks 40g ground semolina 2 tsp caraway seeds, toasted and lightly crushed 2 tbsp rose harissa Flaky sea salt Heat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. Put the garlic, fat and herbs in a small ovenproof pan or saucepan for which you have a lid. Cover and roast for 40 minut

Nigel Slaters deceptively brilliant monkfish

Lisa discovered this recipe in her favourite Nigel book. It is one of those fish, 'but not as we know it Jim' recipes. Not just because Monkfish is the fish that can best impersonate meat but also because of the marinade ingredients that are more often featured with lamb. It's not difficult to do but the flavour is a revelation, which makes it a perfect recipe in my book. This can be cooked on a grill pan or a barbecue. Ingredients 3 bushy sprigs rosemary, leaves finely chopped 4 anchovy fillets 2 large cloves garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 large lemon, juice only 3 tbsp olive oil 800g/1½lb monkfish fillet Method Pull the leaves from the rosemary stalks and chop them finely, then tip them into a bowl large enough to take the fish. Rinse the anchovy fillets and smash them to a rough pulp with the flat edge of your chopping knife. Peel the garlic, crush it flat, then smash it to a purée in the same way. Stir together the herb, anchovy and garlic, adding a grind

Sea Bass on mushroom potatoes with salsa Verde

I felt the overwhelming need to cook something new on Saturday night. I didn't want the tired and tested I wanted to explore new culinary waters. However combined with this desire was an equal and opposing force, driven by being absolutely knackered, that meant it had to be simple too. I returned to one of Jamie's early books, to a recipe that IO had meant to do on countless occasions but never quite got round to. I have done several versions of Sea Bass on a bed of potatoes, some that I have written about on this blog. The one question I would have is about the thickness of the potatoes and the length of time they need to be cooked through ... in my oven I reckon they need about 10 minutes more than the recipe suggests. I would suggest a bit of a trial run if you are going to do it for a dinner party ... however once you have given it a whirl I think this makes for a very easy recipe for a crowd. Here's the recipe. Roasted slashed fillet of sea bass stuffed with herbs, bak