At the times of the year when I do not have purslane, I replace it with rocket leaves or foraged wild greens.
Ingredients
- 150g purslane, gently washed and dried or rocket leaves
- For the Yoghurt Dressing:
- 150ml yoghurt
- 50ml buttermilk
- 1 small clove of garlic, crushed
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons chilli oil (see below)
- 2 large pinches of roasted and ground cumin
- 15-20g hazelnuts, roasted, peeled and coarsely chopped
- For the Chilli Oil:
- 2 large red chillies
- ¼ pint olive oil
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Mix the yoghurt with the buttermilk and garlic and season gently with salt and pepper.
- Remove any long stalks from the purslane, chop finely and add back to the leaves.
- Toss the leaves gently in the yoghurt dressing. Taste and add a pinch of salt if necessary.
- Spread out on a large flat serving dish. Drizzle over the chilli oil and scatter on the roast hazelnuts.
- Finish the dish with the ground cumin dusted over the top. Serve as soon as possible.
- For the Chilli Oil: Chop the chillies (including the seeds) and add with a pinch of salt to the olive oil in a very small saucepan.
- Bring to a bare simmer and cook at the gentlest bubble for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and with the back of a spoon or a mortar, crush some of the chillies to break them up a little bit.
- Allow to cool completely and strain through a fine sieve, again using the back of a spoon or mortar to press some tiny bits of chilli flesh through. I try to get about 1 teaspoon of the fine flesh through the sieve into the oil.
- Taste again and add a pinch of salt if necessary.
- Store in a sealed glass container such as a jam jar.
