Green salad with sesame dressing

Serves 4

– 1 head beautiful, fresh lettuce

– 1 small handful fresh parsley leaves – 1 large shallot, peeled

– 2 tbsp cider vinegar

–1 tsp salt

– 1 tsp sugar

– sesame dressing (recipe below)

– 2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

Wash and dry the lettuce leaves and parsley. Refrigerate the leaves until ready to use.

Very thinly slice the shallot into rings. A mandolin is useful for this.

In a small bowl, mix the shallot slices with the vinegar, salt and sugar. Leave the shallot to pickle for 10 minutes. Drain the shallots from the vinegar and set them aside.

Just before you are ready to serve the salad, place the lettuce leaves and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Gently toss the salad with enough of the dressing to lightly coat the leaves. Scatter the pickled shallot slices through the leaves and place the salad into a serving dish. Finish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds over the top of the salad.

Dressing

– 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted – 1 egg

– 4 tbsp olive oil

– 2 tbsp lemon juice

– salt

Grind the toasted sesame seeds using a mortar and pestle until they are pulverised and pasty.

Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Place the egg into the water and boil for six minutes. Retrieve the egg from the water and put it in a bowl of cold water. When it is cool enough to handle, tap the egg all over to crack the shell in small pieces. Then, under running water, carefully peel the shell from the egg.

Add the peeled egg to the mortar and mash it into the sesame paste until the two are well combined. Add the olive oil one tablespoon at a time, mixing well between additions to make an emulsified sauce. Whisk in the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and check the seasoning. You want a luscious, coating consistency. If the dressing is too thick you can add a little more oil or a teaspoon of water.

Wine pairing:

2016 Jamsheed Harem Le Blanc Plonk riesling blend, Mansfield ($24) – Mark Williamson, wine buyer for Cumulus Inc, Cumulus Up and the Builders Arms Hotel