Recipe & Images FIONA HUGUES
This is a variation of my infamous Wicked Step-grandmother Kūmara Salad, but this darling little dish is in no way sinister. She does, however, pack a subtle punch with sneaky chilli heat that’s perfect to warm one up when the temperature is dire. If you don’t like too much pep in your salad, add the chilli slices when making your vinaigrette and get a gentle heart warm on instead.
2 Beauregard kūmara, sliced into 5mm thick slices
⅓ cup Pecorino or Parmesan, shaved
⅓ cup roasted whole almonds
½ red chilli, finely sliced
2–3 mandarins, peeled and segmented
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for roasting
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
¼ cup sherry vinegar (available at Vetro or La Cave)
salt & pepper
small handful of basil leaves, or your favourite soft herb
Preheat your oven to 190°C fan bake. Place your sliced kūmara in a bowl and toss with a good slosh of olive oil to coat. Lay on lined baking tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 15–20 minutes until soft and golden.
To make the dressing: In a small jar combine the mustard, honey and sherry vinegar with a little salt and pepper. Add chilli slices here if not using in your salad directly and shake to combine. Add ½ cup olive oil (or to taste) and shake again.
In a large bowl, toss together all the ingredients with a third of the vinaigrette and pile the dressed salad onto a plate. Drizzle with a little more dressing, sprinkle over the basil and season.
