RADICCHIO AND FRIENDS

A hearty, zesty and earthy salad which is perfect served on its own as a starter or alongside the slow-roast Merguez-spiced shoulder of lamb.

SERVES 2 AS A LIGHT LUNCH, OR 4 AS A SIDE OR STARTER ■ 50g raisins

■ 2tbsp apple cider vinegar (ideally raw) or wine vinegar

■ 1 radicchio

■ 2 cooked medium beetroot, peeled ■ 1 medium eating apple

■ 400g tin black beans, drained and rinsed ■ 2 medium oranges

■ 1tsp cumin seeds

■ 3tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

■ ½tsp dried chilli flakes

■ Sea salt and black pepper

Put the raisins into a small bowl, pour on the vinegar and leave to soak for at least an hour. Cut the radicchio into wedges, unfurling the leaves into wide ribbons. Place in a large salad bowl. Halve the beetroot, thinly slice and add to the radicchio. Quarter, core and thinly slice the apple and add to the bowl, with the black beans. Finely grate the zest from the oranges and add it to the salad. Slice the tops and bottoms off the oranges, then stand upright on a board and slice off the peel from top to bottom, using a sharp knife. Trim off any pith you’ve missed. Now turn the oranges on their sides and slice into rounds. Drop the orange slices into the salad bowl and tip in any juice from the board. Toast the cumin seeds in a small dry frying pan over a mediumhigh heat for a couple of minutes until fragrant and starting to pop. Let them cool, then crush lightly. Add the toasted cumin to the bowl along with the raisins and vinegar, the extravirgin olive oil and chilli flakes, a pinch of salt and a twist of pepper. Toss everything together and leave to mingle for 10 minutes or so. Toss once more, then serve.