Picalotta Fusion Salad

Posted on by

Vibrant and aromatic – a dish like Berlin (Rcp# 46)

Ingredients for ‘Picalotta Fusion Salad’

For the marinated eggplants

  • 2 – 3 large, long and narrow aubergines with a side length of at least 18 cm (you must be able to cut slices of about 15 cm in length without the rounding at the ends).
  • 300 ml olive water from an olive jar (green olives are best)
  • Two small sprigs of rosemary and thyme
  • 5 – 7 fresh mint, basil and sage leaves
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon coconut blossom sugar
  • ½ teaspoon smoked sea salt
  • You will also need: a non-stick frying pan that can be used without oil

For the filling

For the fried cubes

  • 400g herb tofu (made from soy, basil tofu works best) or a mild smoked chickpea tofu
  • 5 tablespoons canola oil for frying
  • You will also need: a standard medium sized frying pan to be used with oil

For the spicy sauce on the fried cubes

  • 2 – 3 tablespoons dried and salted tomatoes, in bits (sometimes you can buy them already in bits)
  • 3 – 4 tablespoons canola oil for frying
  • 1 teaspoon dried ginger powder

For the salad base

  • 100 g mixed salad leaves, preferably including some wild edible leaves (I used salanova lettuce, sorrel, young chard, arugula, staghorn plantain, young spinach, chrysanthemum, Asian lettuce, and red romaine lettuce).
  • You will also need: a large flat salad bowl

Preparations for ‘Picalotta Fusion Salad’

Marinated Eggplant

  1. Heat the olive water in a saucepan. Bring to a brief boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
  2. Wash the herbs and add them to the pan with the olive water.
  3. Turn off the heat and add the smoked sea salt, coconut blossom sugar and olive oil.
  4. Allow to cool to lukewarm.
  5. Wash the aubergines and cut off the stalk, leaves and the conical top of the plant so that you have a cylinder (more or less). Cut the fruit into slices about 5 – 7 mm thick (not thicker or it won’t work). Set aside the parts that are mostly or completely covered with peel. In the end, you should have about 3-5 perfect slices from each eggplant (depending on the shape of the fruit). Cut the rest of the eggplant into cubes or similar to use in another dish.
  6. Heat the non-stick pan. Brown the large eggplant slices on both sides. Remove from the pan and place on a large plate to cool individually (do not stack). When cooled to room temperature, slice once again lengthwise in the middle to make long strips of fried eggplant.
  7. Place the cooled eggplant slices in a refrigerator container that will hold all the slices plus some (you can now layer them). Pour the marinade into the box and gently move the strips so that the marinade gets between all the layers. Allow to cool completely with the lid loosely on top. When cold, refrigerate covered for 3-4 hours (or overnight).

Roasted Cubes

  1. Cut the tofu into 1 ½ to 2 cm cubes.
  2. Heat a medium frying pan with canola oil.
  3. Brown the cubes on all (most) sides, then remove from the pan and set aside on a plate to cool. Store in the refrigerator if you are preparing the components of the dish ahead of time.

Spicy Sauce for Roasted Cubes

  1. Heat the canola oil in a medium saucepan. Saute the fennel and dried tomato bits until they smell like roasted tomatoes, but don’t burn. Then reduce the heat to medium.
  2. Pour in the olive water and allow the fennel and tomato pieces to absorb the liquid. Stir in the dried ginger powder just before all the liquid is gone.
  3. Heat the pan again and add the broth or stock. Bring to a boil briefly, then turn off the heat.
  4. Pour into a heat-resistant bowl (watch the temperature difference, put a damp cloth under the bowl) and add the apple pulp.
  5. Allow to cool completely. If you want to serve the dish immediately, you can serve it at room temperature. If you want to serve it later, put it in the refrigerator until serving.

Filling for the Eggplant Strips (make at least an hour before serving)

  1. Mix the cold Hoppidge with two tablespoons of olive oil and knead carefully until the cooked grains have absorbed the fat and you have an even mass.
  2. Add the chopped parsley, agave syrup, and bear’s garlic in oil and knead again (you may want to wear kitchen gloves for this, as both the green color of the parsley and the smell of the bear’s garlic will stick to your fingers).
  3. Remove the marinated eggplant strips and place them on a plate so that some of the marinade comes off and they are easier to handle. Replace the plate if it gets too wet or oily.
  4. Take about a teaspoonful of the filling and roll an eggplant strip around it, starting with the broadest end.
  5. Place the filled eggplant slices on a large plate with the edge from the rolling down (the most stable position for setting). After you have rolled and stuffed all the marinated strips, place them in a container and refrigerate until serving (about 30-60 minutes). Don’t crowd the rolls, and separate the layers with strips of unused baking paper.

Assembling the dish for serving

  1. Wash the salad and place in a colander to drain. Place the largest leaves on the bottom of a large, shallow salad bowl. Use shorter or fluffier leaves to create an interesting edge for the dish. Add the rest of the lettuce where it fits best. You want a salad bowl that is completely covered with lettuce leaves.
  2. Place the rolled and stuffed eggplant strips around the rim just inside of the outer salad ‘fence’.
  3. Place the roasted cubes in the center of the bottom layer of lettuce to form a small pile or pyramid.
  4. Pour the spicy sauce over the roasted cubes.
  5. Enjoy.

Side Notes:

  1. This is the perfect addition to a picnic or to bring to a party. You can just take all the components plus the bowl and assemble on the spot. Keep cool during transport. Do not place in direct sunlight on an outdoor table.