Salad of roasted carrots, apple and lentils with chilli and preserved lemons

SERVES 4 AS A SIDE // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 35 MINS

“I know this sounds odd, but it works, and it works as a main course, not just as a side dish,” says Diana Henry. “The real surprise is just how good apples are with chillies and preserved lemons.”

350 gm mixed Dutch carrots 60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin

olive oil

245 gm cooked Puy

(French-style) lentils

1 red and 1 green chilli, halved, seeds removed, very finely shredded 2 preserved lemons, rind only, thinly sliced, plus

2 tsp brine from jar

1 large (or 2 medium) tart eating apple, unpeeled, halved and cut into matchsticks

Juice of ½ lemon

Leaves from 10 mint sprigs, torn 1/2 cup (firmly packed) coriander

DRESSING 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar 125 ml (½ cup) fruity extra-virgin olive oil 1 large garlic clove, finely grated 5 gm ginger (about 1cm), finely grated

¼ tsp runny honey

1 Preheat oven to 220°C. Trim carrots, but leave a fair bit of green tuft. If you can’t find young carrots, halve or quarter larger ones lengthways. Don’t peel them; just wash them well. Place in a single layer in a roasting pan. Add oil, season to taste and toss to ensure carrots are coated. Roast until tender (30-35 minutes; be careful not to overcook them). 2 For dressing, place vinegar in a bowl and whisk in remaining ingredients with a fork. Season to taste.

3 Place lentils in a broad, shallow serving bowl with half the chilli and one-third of the preserved lemon. Season to taste, then toss with one-third of the dressing. 4 Throw apple into a large mixing bowl with lemon juice, then add carrots.

Add remaining chilli and preserved lemon, along with two-thirds of the herbs and remaining dressing.

5 Add remaining herbs to lentils. Top with carrot and apple mixture (you should still be able to see the lentils around the sides) and serve.