Charred carrot salad with sorrel, macadamia and herb vinaigrette

Chargrilling carrots this way releases their natural sweetness. Once tossed with the nuts and dates in the zingy mustard dressing, it is sure to become your go-to side.

Credit: Andy and Ben Eat Australia, Food Network

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 20 baby carrots, scrubbed and trimmed
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 4 dates
• 6 roasted macadamias, halved
• 20 sorrel leaves
• Grated parmesan, to serve

Dressing

• 1½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 1½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
• juice of 1 lemon
• 150 ml olive oil
• 1tbsp chopped coriander
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat a barbecue chargrill to medium.

For the dressing, place all the ingredients in a sealable jar. Seal well, then shake until emulsified.  The rule of thumb for a vinaigrette is 1 part acid, 2 parts fat (olive oil), but you can adjust to taste if you like.

Place the carrots and olive oil in a large bowl, season with salt and toss to coat. Chargrill the carrots, turning occasionally for 5 minutes or until just tender.

While the carrots are cooking, halve and seed the dates, then coarsely tear into a bowl. Add the macadamias and sorrel leaves, then when they are cooked, add the carrots. Season to taste, then shake the dressing again and pour over just enough to coat the salad. Place on a large plate, scatter with grated parmesan and serve.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.