Name: Grilled witlof, mint and almond salad with blackened mandarin
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 6 white witlof, trimmed and quartered lengthways; 1 tbsp olive oil; 4 mandarins, 2 unpeeled and halved, 2 peeled, pith removed and separated into segments; ¼ Spanish onion, thinly sliced; 70 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 1½ tbsp Sherry vinegar; Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste; ½ garlic clove, finely chopped; To serve: mint and coarsely chopped roasted almonds

Grilled witlof, mint and almond salad with blackened mandarin

Recipe for grilled witlof, mint and almond salad with blackened mandarin.

Serves 4

Prep

15M

Cook

10M

Total

25M

Witlof makes a damn fine ingredient for grilling. We’ve offset its bitter qualities with sweet juicy mandarin and fragrant mint, and added crunch with roasted almonds. A dusting of smoky paprika would be a delicious finishing touch too. This salad would be excellent paired with char-grilled tuna or mackerel.

Ingredients

6 white witlof, trimmed and quartered lengthways

1 tbsp olive oil

4 mandarins, 2 unpeeled and halved, 2 peeled, pith removed and separated into segments

¼ Spanish onion, thinly sliced

70 ml extra-virgin olive oil

1½ tbsp Sherry vinegar

Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste

½ garlic clove, finely chopped

To serve: mint and coarsely chopped roasted almonds

Method

Main

1.Bring a char-grill pan or barbecue to high heat. Drizzle witlof with olive oil, season to taste and grill, turning occasionally, until slightly wilted (4-5 minutes). Meanwhile, grill mandarin halves, cut-side down, until scorched (3-4 minutes).

2.Transfer witlof to a bowl and add mandarin segments and onion. Squeeze the juice of one of the blackened mandarins into a bowl, add extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and garlic, season to taste and whisk to combine. Drizzle dressing over witlof mixture, season to taste and toss to combine. Leave to cool slightly, then scatter with mint and almonds, and serve with remaining blackened mandarin halves to squeeze over to taste.