Middle Eastern salad with crunchy Cos lettuce
This Middle Eastern salad with crunchy cos lettuce was prepared by Executive Chef/Owner, Richard Mee, of Mercato Restaurant in Daylesford, Victoria. Richard created this recipe using a wonderful combination of Middle Eastern flavours and textures that can be eaten as finger food. It is perfect to share.
lets get
cooking
- 1 Cos lettuce, cut at base to separate leaves, washed and spun
- 100g walnuts
- 100g green olives, cut into chunky pieces
- 100g pistachios
- 30g pomegranate seeds, separated
- 10g shallots, finely sliced
- 5g chilli, finely diced
- 10g parsley, chopped
- 50g Persian feta
- Sea salt flakes
- Freshly ground pepper
- Zhoug (see below to make your own)
- 100ml extra virgin olive oil
- 100ml walnut oil
- 3 lemons, juiced
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake. Set aside.
- Place salad ingredients (except for the Persian feta) into a bowl. Add the dressing to the bowl and stir well. Set aside.
- Lay Cos lettuce leaves on a platter and distribute the salad filling evenly onto each leaf, followed by the feta.
- Finish with a generous splash of Zhoug on each. Serve and enjoy!
Cos lettuce is an excellent base for a meal as each leaf can be filled with interesting combinations. Richard says, "I like to prepare meals for people with gluten intolerances and a crunchy Cos makes this easy".Zhoug (or green harissa) is popular in Middle Eastern kitchens. It's consistency is similar to pesto, but it's a fragrant and hot and spicy herb relish. Coriander and parsley are the main herbs.Below is Richard's Zoug recipe:Ingredients:1 cup fresh coriander1 cup fresh parsley4 garlic cloves1 tsp cumin seed, toasted1 tsp caraway seed, toasted200ml extra virgin olive oil10 chillies, deseededPrepare the Zhoug by grinding the toasted seeds into a powder. Then put all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.You can store fresh Zhoug for a few days in the fridge, it's a perfect addition to sandwiches, salad dressings, or on eggs or fritters.
