Rice Salad with Nuts and Sour Cherries
This brilliant salad is the brain-child of the wonderful Yotam Ottolenghi who combines the bitterness of chopped almonds, rocket and parsley with the sourness of the cherries to great effect. It works as a great meal in its own right, or as a side to a more plentiful table.
INGREDIENTS
150g wild rice
220g basmati rice
100g quinoa
60g almonds, skins on, roughly chopped
60g pine nuts
60ml extra virgin olive oil – we use Ascolana Tenera monocultivar, it is excellent with rice and also brilliant with the complex sweet, sour juxtapose
2 medium onions, finely sliced (if you can get tropea onions, they are the best for this)
30g flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
20g basil, roughly chopped
10g tarragon, roughly chopped
40g wild rocket
80g dried sour cherries
60ml lemon juice, plus the zest of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove
Flaked sea salt and black pepper to taste
METHOD
Place the wild rice in a medium saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to the boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer for 30 minutes until the rice is cooked but still firm. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside to dry.
Mix the basmati rice with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ½ teaspoon of salt. Place in a medium saucepan with 330ml of boiling water, cover and cook on the lowest possible heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, place a tea towel over the pan, replace the lid and set aside for 10 minutes. Then uncover and allow to cool down completely.
Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil and add the quinoa. Cook for 9 minutes, then drain in a fine sieve, refresh under cold water and set aside.
Place the almonds and pine nuts in a small pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cook on a medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to a small plate as soon as the pine nuts begin to colour, and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the onions, along with ¼ teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Cook on a high heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring often, so that parts of the onion get crisp and others just soft. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain.
Place all the grains in a large mixing bowl along with the chopped herbs and rocket, fried onion, nuts and sour cherries. Add the lemon juice, zest, remaining olive oil, garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt and some pepper. Mix well and set aside for at least 10 minutes before serving.