Fig summer salad
This salad by Fig Restaurant chef Mark McCracken is made with dates, but with summer fruits in season, you can also use figs. As the figs won’t be as sweet as dates, you can drizzle a little honey over the salad. Zhoug is pronounced ‘zoog’ and is a traditional sauce from Yemen. You can serve the salad with some lovely fresh baguette and olive oil to turn it into a light lunch or even serve alongside some BBQ fish on a warm summer’s night.
SERVES 4
160g ricotta cheese
4 Medjool dates, pitted, or fresh figs
4 mandarins
100g rocket lettuce
Fresh As freeze-dried mandarin pieces
80g smoked nuts
Edible flowers
Zhoug
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 small bunch of coriander, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seed, toasted and crushed
50ml apple cider vinegar
100ml olive oil
Pinch of Aleppo chilli flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cut the dates or figs into quarters. Peel and segment the mandarins, remove pith, and cut in half.
To make the zhoug, mix all the ingredients together. If you want a smooth sauce, you can blend in a machine. Zhoug can be stored in the fridge but is best used at room temperature; remove it from the fridge an hour before you use it.
To serve, spoon or pipe the ricotta onto plates, scatter the fruit, nuts and rocket around the ricotta. Drizzle the zhoug over the salad and finish with some edible flowers.
Use the best ricotta cheese you can find; they have different flavours and will impact the final dish.