This Chargrilled Summer Salad Recipe Will Up Your Dinner Game
Feels like it might be another warm day here in Scotland - so here is a delicious salad recipe that is perfect for dining alfresco. We’ll share this, and more from the summer essential, BBQ cookbook Charred by Genevieve Taylor (Quadrille, priced at £13.45) over the next few days to have you chargrilling like a pro by the weekend.
The combination of sweet charred carrots, creamy ricotta and crunchy nuts is quite simply addictive. If you’ve never grilled a carrot before, do it now. They are an absolute revelation and show just how good fire-cooked vegetables can be.
Photography by Jason Ingram
Barbecued carrot, ricotta and toasted pecans
Serves 4-6 as a side
500g carrots, preferably with the tops on
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
1 tsp soft dark brown sugar
1 tsp dried chilli flakes, ideally chipotle
1 garlic clove, crushed
250g ricotta
½ bunch of spring onions, thinly sliced
50g pecans, toasted and chopped
1 small bunch coriander, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Trim the tops off the carrots and scrub under running water. Slice in half lengthways, or into quarters if they are a little larger – you want them to be approximately finger-thickness.
2. Fill a pan with boiling water and add a little salt, then set over a high heat and bring back to the boil. Once boiling, add the carrots and blanch for three minutes. Drain well and tip into a mixing bowl.
3. While they are still hot, add the olive oil, cumin, brown sugar, chilli flakes and garlic and stir well to mix. Cover and leave to marinate for a couple of hours at room temperature.
4. Once you are ready to cook, fire up your barbecue ready for direct grilling, or preheat a cast-iron griddle pan on the hob. Lay the carrots on the grill bars or griddle and cook for 15–20 minutes, turning regularly, until they are nicely caramelised. Use a brush to baste the carrots with any excess marinade from the bowl as you turn them.
5. Once soft and caramelised, scatter the carrots over a serving plate and dot with heaped teaspoons of ricotta. Sprinkle over the spring onions, chopped pecans and coriander. Finally, add a generous drizzle of olive oil and finish with a good grind of pepper. Serve while still warm.
