Darren’s secrets to a great salad

A great salad can be the hero of a meal and, if you follow a few rules, it’s actually quite simple to make a cracking version. Basically, it’s all about balancing flavour and texture, so here are a couple of pointers to get you started.

+ counterbalance ingredients One of my top tips for matching a salad with another dish is to use ingredients that counterbalance each other. For example, sweet and succulent lamb ribs are perfect with bitter leaves, such as radicchio or witlof, to cut through the richness. And soft slow-braised pork belly goes nicely with a crunchy shaved cabbage number. + texture Try adding raw vegetables for flavour and crunch, such as cabbage, beetroot, broccoli, cauliflower, radish, carrot, snow peas, onion, zucchini, squash or brussels sprouts. I also love incorporating rice, pulses, grains, nuts and seeds for added nutrition, texture and flavour. + seasonal produce is king Get your hands on whatever produce looks amazing and work around that. If asparagus is in season, make that the star and pair it perhaps with a little parsley, mint, lemon and feta – simple and delicious. + add fruit Use the sweetness of fruit to bring colour, life and a different element to savoury salads. Some of my foolproof combinations are finely sliced fennel with orange; roasted parsnip and shaved pear; watermelon, tomato and radish; and roasted pumpkin and pomegranate. + get creative with the dressing Instead of the old faithful white wine or balsamic vinegar, try using apple cider vinegar or another acid, such as lemon, lime or grapefruit juice, or yoghurt, whey or even kombucha with your oil of choice. + herbs We go through so much parsley, coriander, mint and basil at The Ducks, so even if these are the only thing you ever grow on your verandah, the pay-off is big! Be sure to use up the stalks, too, by adding them to stocks and pastes.