Chef's Recipes

Shane Delia: Autumn greens and beans, smoked almonds and garlic

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for autumn greens and beans, smoked almonds and garlic by Shane Delia from Melbourne restaurant Maha.

By Shane Delia
  • 20 mins preparation
  • 1 hr 10 mins cooking plus standing
  • Serves 6
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"As a little boy, I would never eat my greens, so Mum always had to disguise them with other flavours. I know now that greens are a wonderful ingredient on their own and don't need masking. But that little boy in me still likes to put big flavours with them."
Toasting the almonds on a low heat (take care not to burn them) will help keep them crisp. You'll need to begin this recipe a day ahead.

Ingredients

  • 200 gm chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 400 gm cavolo nero, coarsely chopped
  • 6 silverbeet leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 150 gm roasted broad beans (see note)
  • 4 garlic cloves, pounded to a fine paste in a mortar and pestle
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste
Smoked almond vinaigrette
  • 75 gm smoking chips, soaked in water for 20 minutes, drained (see note)
  • 40 gm Turkish tea leaves
  • 125 gm natural almonds
  • 150 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp cabernet sauvignon vinegar
  • 1 golden shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped chives

Method

Main
  • 1
    Drain chickpeas and cook in a saucepan of boiling water over medium-high heat until tender (20-30 minutes). Drain and set aside.
  • 2
    For smoked almond vinaigrette, heat smoking chips and tea leaves in a double-layer piece of foil, placed in the base of a wok over low heat, until starting to smoke. Place a wire rack on top, then a small tray containing almonds. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to very low and cook until almonds are heavily smoked (15 minutes). Transfer almonds to a saucepan with olive oil and sauté over low heat until nuts are toasted (10 minutes). Cool completely, then transfer almonds and oil to a container and stand overnight. Strain almonds (reserve oil), then coarsely crush, in batches, in a mortar and pestle. Combine almonds, vinegar, shallot and reserved oil in a bowl and set aside. Add chives just before serving.
  • 3
    Heat olive oil in a saucepan over high heat, add onion and chickpeas and sauté until onion is tender (5-10 minutes), add cavolo nero and silverbeet and sauté until wilted (1-2 minutes), then add broad beans and garlic and stir until heated through (1-2 minutes). Transfer to a large bowl, add 80ml smoked almond vinaigrette, season to taste, transfer to a platter and serve, drizzled with extra olive oil and lemon juice, and extra smoked almond vinaigrette to the side.

Notes

Roasted broad beans are available from health-food and nut shops. Smoking chips are available from barbecue and hardware shops.Drink Suggestion: Oak-matured Margaret River semillon sauvignon blanc. Drink suggestion by Max Allen.

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