A true taste of spring that takes just 20 minutes to make
Diana Henry
Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.
Published
You can call this a salad or a ‘platter’ or whatever you like. It’s good for lunch (serve with good bread or little boiled Jersey Royal potatoes) as well as a starter. Burrata is expensive and not everyone loves the creaminess so it’s fine to use mozzarella instead (slice or tear it and drizzle it with some extra virgin olive oil). The anchovy-pistachio relish is also great with roast lamb, griddled chicken and meaty fish, such as tuna. You can replace half the pistachios with almonds or pine nuts.
Overview
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
5 mins
Serves
6
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
- 75g shelled, unsalted pistachios
- 1 x 50g tin really good-quality anchovies, drained and chopped
- 100ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp mint leaves, chopped
- Squeeze of lemon (optional)
For the salad
- 30 French breakfast radishes, washed
- 600g asparagus
- 3 x 200g tubs burrata
- 250g fresh peas (from roughly 700g pods)
- Really good extra-virgin olive oil
- Juice of ½ lemon
Method
Step
To make the dressing, grind together 1 roughly chopped garlic clove and ¼ tsp sea salt flakes to a paste in a mortar.
Step
Add 75g unsalted pistachios (shelled) and 1 x 50g tin anchovies (drained and chopped) and pound until you have a mixture that is partly puréed, partly chunky.
Step
Stir in 100ml extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tsp white balsamic vinegar, some black pepper, 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley and 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves. Taste to see if you need a squeeze of lemon (optional). Set aside.
Step
Slice 30 French breakfast radishes lengthways to make teardrop-shaped slices. Trim or snap the woody base off 600g asparagus stalks and carefully peel off any tough-looking skin.
Step
Boil or steam the spears until just tender (about four minutes, depending on the thickness). Drain and pat dry with a clean tea towel.
Step
Lift the rounds of 3 x 200g tubs burrata out of their liquid and carefully set on kitchen paper to drain well, otherwise the milky liquid seeps out a bit.
Step
Put the burrata on a plate then put 250g fresh peas (from roughly 700g pods), radishes and asparagus alongside.
Step
Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil over everything, then season and squeeze on some of the juice of ½ lemon to taste.
Step
Spoon some of the pistachio and anchovy dressing on top of the burrata and serve the rest in a bowl on the side.