Broccoli, black olive and Parmesan salad with warm anchovy dressing; Roast Skate, lemon, capers and spring greens; Braised spring greens, beetroot, lentils, ricotta and gabriel cheese
Recipes serve four
Broccoli, black olive and Parmesan salad with warm anchovy dressing
It is worth seeking out good quality anchovies. Superquinn, for example, does small jars in its World Foods section.
6 anchovy fillets
olive oil
2 lemons
1 tbsp Parmesan shavings
1kg broccoli, trimmed of any stalky bits
100g pitted black olives
1 tbsp finely chopped chives
Use a wooden spoon to mash the anchovies in a bowl with some pepper. Whisk in three tablespoons of olive oil, and the juice of one of the lemons. Set aside.Boil or steam the broccoli until it is cooked, then drain and toss it in the anchovy dressing. Sprinkle the black olives over the top, then the Parmesan, and finely the chives. Serve with a wedge of lemon.
Roast Skate, lemon, capers and spring greens
4 skate wing pieces, each weighing about 300g
olive oil
400g spring greens
juice of two lemons
4 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped oregano
1 tbsp chopped sage
4 tbsp well-soaked capers (salted are generally better, but require soaking)
1 lemon, quartered, for serving
Brush the skate with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and lay out in a roasting tray large enough to accommodate them all without overlapping. Roast in a pre-heated oven, 220 degrees/gas seven for 15 minutes, or until cooked. (Gently insert the point of a sharp knife to check they're done). You'll need to turn them half way through cooking. Trim the stalks from the greens. Blanch in boiling salted water for five minutes, or until tender, and drain. Refresh under cold water and gently but firmly squeeze the water out.
Remove the fish and keep it warm. Place the roasting tin over a moderate heat and add the lemon juice, herbs and capers and heat through so everything amalgamates. Add two or three tablespoons of olive oil, and an equal quantity of water if it looks too dry, and then stir in the greens.Serve the fish on top of the greens and add a wedge of lemon.
Braised spring greens, beetroot, lentils, ricotta and gabriel cheese
8 golfball-sized beetroot
1kg spring greens
200g Puy lentils
extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp picked thyme leaves
1 tbsp each chopped parsley and mint
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
half tsp of chilli flakes, or to taste
olive oil
4 tbsp ricotta
2 tbsp grated Gabriel cheese
Wash and trim the beetroot. Cut into quarters and place in tin foil. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle olive oil over the top and add a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Roast in a preheated oven, 200 degrees/gas six for 30-40 minutes, or until tender.
Roughly chop the spring greens, removing any tough, stalky bits, and blanch in boiling salted water for four minutes or until just tender. Drain and refresh in cold water.Cover the lentils with cold water in a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer of 20-30 minutes, or until just cooked. Remove from the heat.In a large saucepan heat four tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chopped garlic, fennel seeds and chilli flakes. Turn briefly in the oil and then add the spring greens. Saute this gently for two minutes and then add the herbs. Stir again, then add the lentils and their liquid. You may need to add more water; the mixture should be quite sloppy. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, spoon the braised spring greens and lentil mixture into four bowls. Add the beetroot, spoon the ricotta over the top, sprinkle with grated Gabriel and drizzle with lots of good olive oil.