New ingredients are thin on the ground at this time of year, and each week the market has only vegetables that seem to have been about for aeons. It’s now that I start looking forward to spring, and hanker after salads with body, texture and taste. Caramelised roast veg, toasted nuts, herbs, citrus: these are the flavours that will entice you back for more. Invest in good oil and vinegar, and keep them for dressings: great pleasure comes from a great dressing.
Roast jerusalem artichokes, oxford blue and hazelnuts
A riot of subtle but deep flavours that marry beautifully: sweet apple, toasted hazelnuts, sharp dressing, crisp leaves and the umami-laden taste of roast jerusalem artichokes. I made this for a self-professed salad hater the other night and he returned for third helpings. Beware the windy nature of the artichokes, though, if you’re cooking for a hot date. Serves four.
80g hazelnuts
650g jerusalem artichokes
3 cloves garlic, peeled
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
100ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 small bunch thyme
4 heads chicory
1 large bag watercress
1 green apple (I’d go for an egremont russet or granny smith)
150g oxford blue cheese (cashel blue or saint agur will also work here)
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
For the dressing
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Heat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5, toast the nuts for up to 10 minutes, until pale golden, and set aside.
With a wire scourer, scrub clean the artichokes in cold water, cut into chunks or halves, and steam for 10-15 minutes, until just tender (be careful not to overcook, or they will suddenly collapse and go mushy).
Bash the garlic with a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper using a pestle and mortar, then stir in three tablespoons of oil. Rub this all over the artichokes, put in an oven dish and scatter the thyme branches on top. Roast for 40-45 minutes, until golden and sticky looking; the artichokes will caramelise, and go all sweet and chewy at the edges. Set aside to cool.
Cut off and discard the root ends from the chicory, separate the leaves, then wash in a sieve with the cress. Dry in a salad spinner or tea towel.
Whisk the vinegar, sugar and mustard with plenty of salt and pepper, then stir in the remaining oil and adjust the sweetness and acidity to taste. Peel and core the apple, then cut into thin slivers. In a bowl, mix the leaves, apple, shallots, nuts and dressing, top with nuggets of cheese and the warm artichokes, and serve at once.
Molasses-marinated chicken thighs with red quinoa, pistachio and herb salad
Sticky, blackened chicken thighs and a herb-laden red quinoa salad tastes wonderful and looks inviting. It also feels like spring. Serves four.
1 garlic clove, peeled
½ tsp cumin seeds
A pinch of black peppercorns
Salt
3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying
A squeeze of lemon
6 boneless chicken thighs
Seeds from ½ small pomegranate
For the salad
125g red or white quinoa, rinsed
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 handfuls lightly toasted pistachios, roughly chopped
¼ red onion, finely chopped
Seeds from ½ small pomegranate
1 celery heart, finely sliced
½ bunch parsley, finely chopped
2 handfuls mint leaves, finely chopped
In a mortar, crush the garlic, cumin, peppercorns and a pinch of salt to a paste. Stir in the molasses, oil and lemon juice, rub all over the chicken thighs, cover, refrigerate and marinate for at least an hour.
Meanwhile, put the quinoa in a pan with a litre of water, season with salt and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the quinoa has unfurled but still has some bite. Drain in a sieve, then sit the sieve on top of the hot pan, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to steam dry. After 10 minutes, fluff the quinoa with a fork to separate the grains and, while it’s still warm, dress with the oil and lemon juice. Mix in the remaining salad ingredients, and add extra lemon, salt or oil to taste.
Put a splash of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on a medium-high heat. Once smoking hot, season the chicken with a little salt and lay skin-side down in the pan. Fry for a few minutes until golden and crisp, then turn and cook the other side for two minutes longer. Add the pomegranate seeds, any marinating liquid and a splash of water, cover, turn the heat to low and cook for three minutes, until cooked through (the juices should run clear when you insert a skewer). Leave to rest, uncovered, for three minutes.
Serve the quinoa salad with slices of sticky, caramelised chicken on top, spooning over the cooking juices and extra pomegranate seeds. Chunks of crusty bread for mopping up the juices are essential.
And for the rest of the week…
Jerusalem artichokes are delicious shaved wafer-thin and served raw with good olive oil, parsley, ceps and parmesan; or with some good salty cured ham and a few parmesan shavings – seriously luxurious, special-occasion stuff. We adore blue cheese in our house, especially on raisin and nut toast (unless you make your own, try local bakeries until you find a really good one), or tossed with chicory leaves, toasted walnuts, slices of pear and the same dressing as in today’s first recipe, for a seriously classy starter or light meal. If you want to steer clear of salads, the sticky chicken goes wonderfully with roast spuds, too.
• Thomasina Miers is co-owner of the Wahaca group of Mexican restaurants. Her latest book, Chilli Notes, is published by Hodder & Stoughton at £25. To order a copy for £20, go to bookshop.theguardian.com
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