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Copyright text 2015 Matt Wilkinson
Copyright photography 2015 Jacqui Melville
Copyright design 2015 Hardie Grant Books
Cover design by Racket
Cover copyright 2016 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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Recipes taken from Mr. Wilkinsons Simply Dressed Salads by Hardie Grant Books
First ebook edition: May 2015
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ISBN: 978-0-316-46574-8
E3-20160823-JV-PC
I think of most food groups as a salad. Really I do. Why? Well, the salad is one of the most diverse food groups ever. A burger is a burger, and a curry is a curry but salads are wonderfully variable and can be hot or cold. Any ingredient can be made into a saladany vegetable, fruit, grain, pulse, seafood, or meatnot just salad leaves. A salad to me is simply a marriage of flavors and textures that you bring together, tossed with the right vinaigrette or dressing, and there you have it. For me, a salad is primarily designed to share, but can be brilliant on its own for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any of the meals in between.
Matt Wilkinson, chef and co-owner of Pope Joan in Melbourne and the Spudbar franchise throughout Australia
Serves 2, or 4 sharing
The black bean vinaigrette is a version from my old mate Jake Nicolson, and has become a regular at home and in dishes for work. This dish goes brilliantly with some simple Chinese-style roasted beef, duck, or chicken.
INGREDIENTS
14 oz (400 g) Chinese yard-long (snake) beans
10 oz (300 g) organic silken tofu, cut into 8 pieces
1 small handful cilantro (coriander), leaves picked and washed
1 tablespoon crispy fried Asian shallots (from a jar)
BLACK BEAN VINAIGRETTE
7 tablespoons (100 g, 3 oz) fermented black beans (see glossary), soaked overnight in the fridge in several changes of water (or you can use 3 tablespoons black bean paste, from a jar)
1 small long red chili, seeded and finely chopped
3 shallots, finely diced
1 oz (50 g) knob of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 cups (340 ml, 11 fl oz) canola oil (non-GMO)
cup (150 ml, 5 fl oz) light soy sauce
3 tablespoons (40 ml, 1 fl oz) black rice vinegar, or rice vinegar
METHOD
To make the vinaigrette, rinse the soaked black beans if youre using fermented ones. Place in a bowl and use a fork to smash them up a little, to a paste-like consistency. Add the chili, shallots, and ginger, then carefully fold in the canola oil, soy sauce, and vinegar. Taste for a nice salt and acid balance and adjust to your liking.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the snake beans into thirds, then add to the pot and boil for 3 minutes, or until theyre still a little crisp but cooked.
Drain the hot beans and place in a mixing bowl. Add half the tofu and cilantro, and enough dressing to coat (roughly 3 tablespoons). Gently toss, not breaking up the tofu too much, then place in a serving dish.
Add the remaining tofu. Dress with a little more vinaigrette and the rest of the cilantro. Serve sprinkled with the fried shallots.
NOTE: Any leftover vinaigrette will keep in an airtight jar in the fridge for weeks.
Serves 4
You really should read Mark Kurlanskys books on the subjects of both salt and codbrilliantly written and so interesting. That said, there are different quality versions of salt cod. For this dish please grab the expensive whole salted fillet; generally you can get them boned. Bear in mind you will need to soak the salt cod for a day before starting this recipe.
INGREDIENTS
10 oz (300 g) salt cod fillet; this will yield 79 oz (200250 g) of fish once cooked
1 white onion, roughly chopped
1 fresh bay leaf
4 cups (1 liter, 34 fl oz) milk
2 slices bread
canola oil (non-GMO), for drizzling
2 large heads of frise, outer leaves removed, then washed and torn
20 chives, washed and chopped
1 small handful chervil, picked and washed
1 small handful flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, washed
2 small shallots, sliced
3 oz (80 g) pecorino or Parmesan, grated
BACON VINAIGRETTE
4 oz (100 g) bacon or pancetta, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely diced
3 tablespoons (40 ml, 1 fl oz) whiskey
3 tablespoons (40 ml, 1 fl oz) sherry vinegar
4 drops of Tabasco, or other spicy chili sauce
6 drops of Worcestershire sauce
METHOD
Soak the cod in a bowl of cold water for 24 hours, changing the water three times.
Next day, rinse the cod under fresh cold water and place in a large pot. Add the onion, bay leaf, and milk, then top with water until the fish is fully submerged. Place over medium heat and gently bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 45 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the cod sit. You just want to poach it gently.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F (200C, Gas 6). Tear the bread into small chunks and drizzle with a little canola oil. Place on a baking tray and bake for 57 minutes, or until golden, but still soft in the middle. Remove your croutons from the oven and set aside.