Ingredients
Serves: 6-8
- 50g raisins soaked on boiling water for 1 hour
- 1 small cauliflower
- 12 Brussels sprouts peeled
- 225g red onion
- 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 8 tablespoons Caesar Dressing
- 50g grated parmesan
- 50g roasted, peeled and chopped hazelnuts
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons of pomegranate seeds (optional)
Caesar Dressing
- 50g tin of anchovies
- 2 egg yolks, preferably free-range
- 1 clove of garlic peeled and crushed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- A generous pinch of English mustard powder
- A small pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon Worcester sauce
- 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
- 175ml sunflower oil
- 50ml extra virgin olive oil
- 50ml cold water, approx
Method
- Trim the outside leaves and tough stalk off the cauliflower and discard or reserve for a vegetable stock. Break or cut the flower it into florets.
- Slice the cauliflower florets thinly, about ½ cm by hand or with a mandolin and place in a large bowl.
- Slice the peeled red onion and sprouts even more thinly and add to the cauliflower. Drain the soaking water off the raisins and add to the cauliflower.
- Dress the salad with half of the olive oil and the Caesar dressing and toss thoroughly but gently.
- Add in 3/4 of the grated parmesan and mix again.
- Taste and correct seasoning add salt and pepper as necessary.
- Spread out in a large shallow bowl or plate and sprinkle on the hazelnuts and pomegranate seeds if using.
- A final drizzle of oil and the remaining parmesan sprinkled over the salad and it is ready to serve.
- The salad will sit for an hour before serving.
Caesar Dressing
- I make this dressing in a food processor but it can also be made very quickly by hand. The food processor achieves a smoother and creamier result which I prefer.
- Drain the anchovies and crush lightly with a fork. Put into the bowl of the food processor with the egg yolks, garlic, lemon juice, mustard powder, salt, Worcester and Tabasco sauce.
- Whizz all of the ingredients together. As you whizz, add the oils in a slow trickle at first, then a little faster as the emulsion forms and the sauce begins to appear creamy.
- Finally add in enough of the water to make a spreadable consistency like thick pouring cream Taste and correct the seasoning: this dressing should be highly flavoured.
- Store the dressing in a covered container in the fridge. I find that after two days the flavour becomes overly strong and looses its freshness.
