Pea, bean and shallot salad
SERVES 8-10 // PREP TIME 25 MINS // COOK 10 MINS (PLUS DRYING ROSEMARY)
“I’ve kept this recipe fairly generic,” says Pynt. “The idea is to use whatever vegetables are available as well as the tendrils, pea flowers and shoots. The peas and beans get cooked on the coals and the brighter, fresher elements keep it alive. I put semi-dried rosemary on the coals; instead of going up in flames, it smokes beautifully and introduces some moisture – it’s almost like a steam-grill effect.” 300 gm podded peas (about
750gm unpodded)
400 gm sugar snap peas,
trimmed
200 gm snow peas, trimmed 250 gm podded broad beans
(about 750gm unpodded) 3 bunches semi-dried rosemary (see note) Braised golden shallots (reserved from the lamb; see recipe p130)
10 thin slices lardo (see note) Pea shoots and edible flowers (such as broad bean, snow pea and garlic flowers; optional), to serve
CIDER VINAIGRETTE
150 ml grapeseed oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Blanch all peas and broad beans in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until bright green (30-40 seconds). Refresh, drain, then pat dry. (This can be done a few hours ahead; refrigerate peas and beans and bring to room temperature before using.)
2 For cider vinaigrette, whisk oil and vinegar in a bowl and season to taste.
3 For the barbecue, burn wood down to embers for medium heat. Place rosemary directly on coals, then place blanched vegetables in a large metal sieve with a flameproof handle and grill over rosemary until hot (5-8 minutes). Transfer to a bowl, add shallots and a little of the reserved lamb juices (see lamb recipe p130), season to taste and toss to combine. Transfer to a large bowl or platter, and top with lardo. Dress pea shoots with vinaigrette, scatter onto the salad, then top with flowers, drizzle with extra vinaigrette and serve.
Note For semi-dried rosemary, put rosemary in a sunny place for a couple of days. Lardo is available from select delicatessens and Italian butchers; to make your own, cure a 200gm piece of pork back-fat (order ahead from your butcher) in salt in the fridge for 3 days. Wipe off excess salt before use.