Burnt Brassica Salad with charred-scallion dressing and piperade

If you’ve ever burnt your vegetables making dinner for your family or friends, just dress them up and tell them it’s a fancy new dish. The charring of the vegetables gives this salad real depth.

By / Photography By | January 22, 2020

Ingredients

  • 4 cups broccoli, romanesco and/or cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
Piperade
  • 1 large red pepper, stem and seeds removed
  • 1 medium tomato, cut in half
  • 3 cloves garlic, lightly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
  • 4 scallions, cut in half crosswise
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

To make the piperade, place the cored and de-seeded pepper onto a small baking sheet and place under the broiler for several minutes, occasionally turning, until all sides of the pepper are charred. Remove the pepper from the oven, place in a mixing bowl and cover until cool. Once cooled enough to handle, peel as much of the charred skin from the pepper as possible. Break the pepper into a few chunks and set aside.

Place the tomato, skin side up, on a baking sheet and under the broiler until the skin is charred. Turn the broiler off and add the cloves of garlic, letting the heat cook them through. Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove as much of the tomato skin as possible.

Add the pepper, tomato, garlic, oil, salt and pepper into a food processor and pulse until combined, but still chunky. Reserve.

Heat a skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the scallions and cook for a few minutes until they are charred and softened. Remove from the pan and reserve.

In a small mixing bowl, add the mustard, a pinch of salt and pepper and the vinegar and mix well. Slowly whisk in the oil.

Once the oil is added, cut the scallions into smaller chunks and add to the dressing. Reserve.

Heat a skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and vegetables, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Sear them in smaller batches, if necessary. Let the vegetables sit undisturbed in the pan until they become charred.

Once the bottoms have blackened, remove the vegetables from the pan and into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Once cooled, dress the vegetables with as much of the dressing as you like.

To serve, spread the piperade over the bottom of a serving plate and top with the charred vegetables.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups broccoli, romanesco and/or cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
Piperade
  • 1 large red pepper, stem and seeds removed
  • 1 medium tomato, cut in half
  • 3 cloves garlic, lightly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
  • 4 scallions, cut in half crosswise
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
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