The Weekly Gather: my favourite salads

Three gorgeous recipes

The butter lettuce salad at The Pelican

It’s not often I get bowled over by salad, but the butterhead lettuce beauty I ate at The Pelican pub in Notting Hill did that to me recently. A whole lush butterhead lettuce, its leaves detached and trimmed, was reconstructed into its original natural shape, then drizzled with a bold mustard-forward dressing. It looked amazing, tasted incredible and everybody at the table fell on it in a way I’ve never seen them do before with green leaves. (Also, the rest of our lunch was excellent, this place deserves all the plaudits).

It got me thinking about salads, which deserve a place on your table all year round if you ask me. Here are three of my favourite recipes (links in each title). I make them regularly so I know they’re completely delicious and they work.

Gem salad with secret weapon dressing recipe by Helen Graves

I’ve made this salad recipe on repeat ever since I first got my hands on Helen’s book, BBQ Days and BBQ Nights (do yourself a favour and buy a copy). The avocado, chilli and fish-spiked dressing is utter catnip, and a creamy cloak for the crisp Little Gem leaves. Almost everyone I’ve ever made it for has asked for the recipe.

Palestinian tomato, cucumber and mint

Often it’s the simplest salads that stop you in your tracks and this is one of them. It was made for me in Palestine a few years back and I couldn’t believe how deeply delicious it was, given so few ingredients. The key is chopping everything finely, and using a good olive oil. I’ve never measured out the ingredients but the recipe l’ve linked to is essentially it. Get your hands on some Belazu fig leaf olive oil if you can (ambrosial, honestly, but pricey).

Lime and chilli chicken salad with crispy noodles

This sprightly Thai-flavoured salad is in my latest book, Second Helpings (inspired by a dish served by Australian chef Simmone Logue at her Sydney deli). I adore it. It’s reason enough to cook a chicken but also the perfect way to use up any leftovers from a roast dinner. Crunchy, salty, sweet and satisfying - all the personality traits of a good salad. NOTE: unfortunately the naughty people at The Week (where I link to for the recipe) didn’t separate the ingredients into the different components as I did in the book. Consequently, it might be confusing. So, if you’re keen to make it, the ingredients for the dressing run from the ginger down to the vegetable oil, inclusive. The rest should make sense.

Enjloy your salad days!