Romanesco Spoon Salad
Romanesco loves char. If you’re not familiar with romanesco - or as I like to call it, Nintendo broccoli - do yourself a favor and get friendly. It’s nutty and delicious and looks cool. If you have access to a charcoal grill, it always yields a superior result. A heavy-bottomed skillet, as we describe below, is the next best option.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
For the salad
1 medium head romanesco, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
1 lemon, zest and juice
2 teaspoons sumac
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup parsley, roughly chopped
½ cup dill, roughly chopped
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
½ cup pitted green olives, halved
METHOD
Char the romanesco. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. In a large mixing bowl, toss the romanesco with a drizzle of neutral oil and season with salt. Add to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, or until well-charred on one side. Give the pan a shake and continue cooking until the romanesco is cooked through but still has a nice bite.
Make the dressing. While the romanesco cooks, make the dressing (you can use the same bowl you used to toss the romanesco). Add the red onion, lemon, olive oil, sumac, a pinch of salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Whisk together.
Toss and season the salad. When the romanesco is done, transfer it back into the bowl along with the chickpeas, olives, feta, and herbs. Toss everything together and taste for seasoning. Go easy with the salt at first because the olives and feta will provide quite a bit. Allow the salad to sit for 5-10 minutes for the veggies to absorb some of the dressing and for the flavors to mingle. Toss and taste for seasoning again. If the salad seems dry, add a bit more olive oil. If it needs more punch, add a splash of red wine vinegar.
Serve. Spoon into large bowls and top with a sprinkle of sumac. Serve with crusty bread or as a side dish for a mezze spread.
FURTHER READING
