Today we are sharing Quinoa, Fennel & Sweet Potato Sala from Executive Head Chef at Sopwell House, Gopi Chandran
With
spring in sight, Executive Head Chef at Sopwell House, Gopi Chandran reveals
his recipe for a delicious and nutritious salad that will get you starting the
season right.
Ingredients
·
4
tbsp olive oil
·
1
large sweet potato, diced
·
2
medium fennel bulbs, cut lengthways into ¼ inch thick slices
·
Malden
sea salt
·
Freshly
ground black pepper
·
20ml
fresh lemon juice
·
1½
tsp ground cumin
·
1
tsp sugar
·
200g
quinoa, rinsed
·
1
lemon
·
1 red
chilli, chopped and deseeded
·
10g
fresh coriander, chopped
·
10g
fresh mint, chopped
·
15g
fresh dill, chopped
·
Seeds
from ½ a small pomegranate
Method
1. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a large
skillet over a medium heat. Add the fennel and season with salt and pepper.
Cook for around 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is just
tender and lightly golden. Add the lemon juice, and sugar. Stir through and cook
for a further minute. Season with salt and pepper and set to one side.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Drizzle the sweet potato with olive oil, sea salt and cumin. Roast in the oven
for 10 minutes, and then set aside.
3. Meanwhile, bring the quinoa and
700ml water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover and reduce to a low simmer
for around 10 minutes until the quinoa is cooked. Drain and return to the pan.
Let the quinoa sit in the pan covered for 15 minutes, before fluffing with a
fork and transferring to a large bowl.
4. Remove the peel and white pith
from the lemon. Cut between the membranes to release the segments. Discard the
membranes and roughly chop. Add the chopped lemon with its juices to the cooked
quinoa along with the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and stir. Add the fennel mixture,
sweet potato, chilli, and herbs. Gently incorporate and season with salt and
pepper. Transfer salad to a bowl or platter and sprinkle with pomegranate
seeds.
Sopwell House is a stunning 18th
Century Georgian house located in the city of St. Albans deep within the
Hertfordshire countryside. Located only 20 minutes from London St. Pancras, the
hotel is the idyllic getaway just outside of the hustle and bustle of the
capital. The hotel is the perfect place to dine boasting a 2AA Rosette
restaurant, a vibrant Brasserie, an elegant cocktail lounge, and conservatory
bar, all of which look out on 12-acres of beautiful gardens.
