1 large cauliflower (800g)
1 medium onion, roughly sliced (130g)
80ml olive oil
25g parsley, roughly chopped
10g mint, roughly chopped
10g tarragon, roughly chopped
Seeds from ½ medium pomegranate (80g)
40g pistachio kernels, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
salt
1. Preheat the oven to 200⁰C fan
2. Break up a cauliflower, discarding the stem but keeping the leaves if they are not too battered looking. Coarsely grate a third of the cauliflower and set aside in a bowl. Break the remaining cauliflower into florets, roughly 3cm wide, and add these to a separate bowl with the cauliflower leaves and onion. Toss everything together with 2 tablespoons of oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt, then spread out on a large parchment-lined baking tray. The leaves will crisp up better if laid on top, and you may want to roast them for less time than the florets. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through and golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
3. While the cauliflower is roasting prepare all the other ingredients and pile them into a large mixing bowl. Pomegranate seeds can be tricky to get out – I find the best way is to cut shallowly around it, slicing no deeper than the skin. Then prize it apart and repeat so you have smaller pieces, then press on the skin with your thumbs to turn each piece inside out.
3. Once cool, put the roasted vegetables into a large bowl with the 50ml oil, the grated cauliflower, and the remaining ingredients, along with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Toss gently, just to combine, then transfer to a platter to serve.
It’s strange to think of this as a salad, but like other salads it’s served cold and the dressing is added at the end. The flavours are varied and unusual too. There are bursts of sweetness from the little jewels of pomegranate, tanginess from the lemon and cumin, and an aromatic lift thanks to the range of fresh herbs. If you’re unfamiliar with Yotam Ottolenghi, throwing a wide range of fresh herbs into every single dish is his trademark. Or maybe his trademark is including ingredients nobody has ever heard of? He’s guilty of both. At least in this case everything is available and known.
As with every dish he creates, the textures in this salad are perfectly balanced. It is almost a meal in itself but not quite. I served ours with leftover chicken and with a side dish of shop bought beetroot dressed with oil and lemon juice. It keeps for a day or so (beyond that the pomegranate berries lose their shine.)
All the ingredients are nutritious – there isn’t a weak link among them. Pomegranates in particular are extremely good for you – they are listed here as the 6th healthiest fruit on the planet. In fact ever since reading that pomegranate juice may slow age-related memory decline I have been drinking Pom daily.
I remember my grandma used to gift me the occasional pomegranate, and a pin to pick the seeds out with one by one. She was not otherwise known for sadism, so I don’t think she was laughing behind my back. I think she must have inherited this strange and reverential approach to pomegranates from someone else. Do you have similar memories? I would love to know that it’s not just me, please tell Russell next time you’re in.
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