WINTER SALAD OF RED LEAVES, MACKEREL AND ORANGE
This is just the sort of salad I want to eat when I am coming out of the winter stodge phase and need something fresher – just in time for the end of the blood orange season.
SERVES 4
250g red cabbage, finely shredded
2 heads of red chicory, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, preferably purple, julienned
2 celery sticks (plus leaves from the centre of the bunch), sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
½tsp caster sugar
1tsp white wine vinegar
1 blood orange
400g smoked mackerel, skinned, deboned and roughly broken up
2tbsp capers, rinsed
1 small bunch of dill, finely chopped
1 small bunch of mint, leaves only, finely chopped
A few sprigs of tarragon, finely chopped
A handful of baby beetroot leaves
A few purple kale leaves, de-stemmed
A few horseradish, mustard green or mitzuna leaves (optional)
Sea salt
FOR THE DRESSING:
1 heaped tbsp crème fraiche
2tsp wholegrain mustard 1tbsp sherry vinegar
1tbsp hazelnut or walnut oil
Orange juice from the blood orange
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Put the red cabbage, chicory, carrot, celery and red onion into a large colander and sprinkle with 1tsp sea salt, the sugar and the vinegar.
Mix thoroughly and set over a bowl or stand in the sink. Cover with a tea towel and leave to stand for one hour.
2 Transfer the vegetables to a serving bowl. Prepare the orange by topping and tailing it, cutting away the skin and outer membrane, then dicing the remaining flesh, flicking out any seeds or large pieces of pith. Squeeze juice from the discarded skin into a small bowl.
3 Make the dressing by adding the crème fraiche, wholegrain mustard, sherry vinegar and oil to the orange juice. Season with salt and pepper and whisk together.
4 Pour the dressing over the salad, then add the mackerel, capers and orange. Fold over gently to combine everything, then sprinkle over the herbs and the celery leaves.
5 Fold over once more, then serve on a bed of the remaining leaves.