ORANGE & HAZELNUT GREEN SALAD

makes 4 - 5 portions

This is another salad adopted from a great chef, Ottolenghi in this case. I’ve slightly simplified the original recipe, to make it a kind of salad anyone can do on a Wednesday evening after work. Having said that, whenever it makes an appearance at any lunch/dinner parties, it is always a huge hit, so totally worth the time, Wednesday evening or not. Give it a go!

Ingredients:

approx. 200g each 

• broccoli
• green beans (frozen are okay too)
• mange tout
• zest (not grated but julienned aka sliced thinly) & juice of 1 large sweet orange
• pinch of sea salt 
• pinch of black pepper
• glug of extra virgin olive oil
• a handful of hazelnuts (toasted at 160C till slightly brown inside), then crushed

Method:

1. Boil some water with a pinch of salt in it, blanch vegetables (not together as they need different time), green beans – 1 minute, broccoli – 40 seconds, mange tout – 30 seconds.
2. You do not need them cooked, you need them blanched, a state where they are not fully raw anymore, but still very crunchy, green and their natural sweetness can dance on your tongue.
3. Once you take vegetables out of boiling water – submerge them under cold one, so the cooking stops and they remain crunchy & green.
4. Once all cooked – drain water, lightly dry them with a towel and arrange on a plate.
5. For the dressing: mix together orange juice, zest, salt, pepper and olive oil.
6. DO THIS PART RIGHT BEFORE SERVING: pour the dressing evenly over green veg, sprinkle liberally with hazelnuts. Enjoy both eating and also listening to what an amazing cook you are.