Hugo Arnold gets to the root of the winter salad
I like a bit of heat. Nothing too hot, mind you. I want enough sun to tan rather than burn. I have golden brown in mind. Something deep and lasting. And if I can't soak up the sunshine myself - there aren't too many sun-kissed beaches to choose from at the moment - I am happy to do so through my food: this is a time for the deep, complex flavours of vegetables that have seen the heat. Roots roasted to a sticky, caramelised finish; bitter leaves, such as chicory, softened in both texture and attitude. Winter salads are among the best: fennel and orange; parsnip, rocket and Parmesan; roast radicchio, shredded cabbage and Parma ham.
Colour, as always with a salad, is vital. Think broadly, though: roasted squash scores as highly as a glistening red pepper. And you need to think about direction: too many notes and your salad can lose its sense of purpose. I like a leaf or two, for example, but some salads, such as a Greek salad, do better without.
The Romans were the first to talk about dressing a salad. In France they talk about fatiguing it - tossing it so there is an exchange. Not much point in having a dressing if it doesn't get to know the other ingredients. Olive oil is a must. At this time of year you can add weight with mustard, garlic, anchovies and capers: all deliver a welcome punch and attitude. An anchovy and garlic dressing works wonders with boiled turnips or with spinach leaves wilted to tenderness. If you make it with less oil, you can puree it to spread on toast. Dijon mustard spiked with Tabasco or some finely chopped chilli will dress greens to perfection.
So are these salads to eat on their own or with other foods? Most work both ways, acting as good bases for grilled meat and fish or providing enough for a lunch. You can also team them with other vegetable-rich dishes for supper. The other night I had braised lentils with a beetroot, cauliflower and caper salad. Tomorrow, as the closing dish of a meat-free week, I plan to feast on macaroni cheese with a salad of aubergine, pitta bread, green olives and parsley. Detoxing never tasted so good.
All recipes serve 4
WARM SALAD OF WILTED KALE, BLACK OLIVES, POTATOES AND POACHED EGG
2 waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into ½cm slices
2 generous handfuls of kale, tough stems removed
olive oil
1tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
4 scallions, trimmed and finely sliced
100g pitted black olives, roughly chopped
4 eggs
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until they are just tender, then remove them from the pan and keep them warm. Blanch the kale in the same water until it is tender, then strain it and add it to the potatoes. Whisk four tablespoons of olive oil and the teaspoon of balsamic vinegar into the mustard.
Season the kale and potato mixture with salt and pepper and gently toss with the mustard vinaigrette. Add the scallions and the black olives and spoon on to four plates.
In a saucepan of fresh salted boiling water, poach the eggs for three minutes, or until cooked, drain on kitchen paper, put on top of the kale and potato mixture, and serve. (For poaching, stir the water before adding the eggs; the white has a tendency to wrap itself round the yolk to form a rough ball.)
BEETROOT, GOATS' CHEESE AND CHERRY TOMATOES
Bunch beetroot, leaves attached
olive oil
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
1 garlic clove, peeled and mashed with a little salt
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
bunch parsley, roughly chopped
bunch chives, finely chopped
4 slices good goats' cheese
Remove the roots from the beets, then wash the beets. Cut them up if very big, then wrap them in foil and bake in a preheated oven at 200C/gas 6 for 30-45 minutes, or until tender. They should still have some bite; the cooking time will depend on their size. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the skin and slice thinly.
Blanch the stalks and the beet leaves in boiling salted water for about five minutes, or until just tender. Drain and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.
Halve the tomatoes, then combine them with the garlic, mustard seeds, parsley and chives. Season with salt and pepper and add enough olive oil to coat.
Briefly melt the goats' cheese under the grill or in the oven, then serve it on the beets, with the cherry tomato mixture on top.
SALAD OF ROASTED RED PEPPERS, LENTILS, ANCHOVIES AND EGG
4 eggs
1 tin lentils, drained and rinsed well
4 scallions, trimmed and finely sliced
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
extra virgin olive oil
1 jar good roasted red peppers
12 anchovy fillets
1 lemon, trimmed and quartered
Hard-boil the eggs, then peel and slice them. Combine the lentils with the scallions and parsley, season with salt and pepper and add enough olive oil to coat the mixture.
Pile the lentils in the centre of four plates, scatter with the peppers, anchovies and egg, season with more pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with a lemon quarter.