Summer Sun-Dried Tomato, Fennel and Fresh Goat’s Curd Salad

Accompaniment Food Main Courses Quick Meals Starters Gluten-free Vegetarian

Sun-dried tomatoes are a lovely ingredient to use with a beautifully intense flavour that’s rounded at the same time. A little goes a long way, and works with a variety of ingredients with hardly any preparation work needed. They […]

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2 Servings

Ingredients

FOR THE FENNEL:

1 head fennel

5 caraway seeds

2g smoked sea salt

50ml olive oil

FOR THE SEMI-DRIED TOMATOES:

4 Heritage cherry tomatoes

1 bay leaf

5g caster sugar

5g smoked sea salt

FOR THE WILD GARLIC PESTO & MONK'S BEARD:

20g wild garlic leaves

20g olive oil

2g sea salt

20g monk’s beard

FOR THE ASSEMBLING:

60g sun dried tomatoes

30g goat’s curd

10g gordal olives

Nasturtium leaves

Fennel pollen

Method

For the Fennel:
Cut the fennel head into segments, place into a vacuum-seal bag with olive oil, caraway seeds, and smoked salt and sous vide for 40 minutes at 85 degrees. If you don’t have a water bath, grind up the caraway and salt and sprinkle over the fennel and gently steam until tender. Don’t overcook, as you want a nice bite to the fennel
Once cooked, chill in an ice bath immediately. Once cool, remove the fennel and reserve the oil
For the Semi-dried tomatoes:
If possible try finding a selection of varieties, which will add colour to the dish. If not red cherry tomatoes are fine
Cut tomatoes in half, sprinkle the sugar, smoked salt and fresh bay leaf onto the tomatoes. Place under heat lamps or in a low oven at 40ºC, until the tomatoes have concentrated and lost roughly 20 per cent of their volume
For the Wild garlic pesto & monk's beard:
Place garlic leaves in a blender with enough oil to combine into a smooth pesto. Be careful not to overheat the garlic as you want to retain the freshness
Once puréed, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. This recipe makes more than you will need. It has a lovely fresh garlic flavour, great for a pasta or other salads
Blanch monk’s beard in unsalted boiling water for 30 seconds. Chill in an ice bath, and reserve until ready
To assemble:
Heat a pan with reserved fennel oil and gently caramelize the fennel segments
Arrange fennel on plate or platter as a base. Place the sun-dried and semi-dried tomatoes around fennel and dress with the goat’s curd, wild garlic pesto and diced gordal olives
Finish with any remaining fennel oil, and fennel pollen
Garnish with monk’s beard and nasturtium leaves

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