Fregola Sarda Salad with Treviso, Goat Cheese & Tart Cherries
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WINE PAIRING | |
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| Sancerre | ||
This couscous salad offers a range of contrasting textures (crisp, chewy & creamy) and flavors (tangy, sweet, bitter, nutty, piney & salty).
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups Large Fregola Sarda
- 1 head Radicchio
- 1 head Treviso
- ¼ cup brine-packed Capers
- ¼ cup Dried Tart Cherries
- ¼ cup Flat Leaf Parsley Leaves
- ¼ cup Mint Leaves
- ¼ cup Amaro Meletti
- ¼ cup Water
- 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1oz Chevre Goat Cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup Pine Nuts, Toasted
DIRECTIONS
1
Cut the radicchio into quarters.
2
In an oiled, heavy-bottom pan, char the radicchio quarters.
3
Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar.
4
Remove the radicchio and roughly chop it.
5
Deep fry the capers in a pot with a shallow layer of canola oil, until they stop bubbling. Remove them from the oil & drain off the excess oil on paper towels.
6
Bring the meletti and water to a boil in a small sauce pot with the tart cherries. Remove the pot from the heat and cover it, letting the cherries rehydrate.
7
Boil the fregola in salted water, until tender, then drain off the water.
8
Toss the radicchio & the pine nuts with the fregola. Season to taste with salt.
9
Briefly plunge the treviso in ice water to crisp it up. Cut it into long strips.
10
Sprinkle the fregola mixture with the goat cheese, mint & parsley leaves, fried capers and Treviso.
11
Simmer the cherry rehydrating liquid to reduce it in volume by half. Drizzle it over the salad.
Recipe by Jake Vorono