Not only is this salad an autumnal rainbow, every ingredient here can be made ahead of time, placing this dish safely in the lauded category of how to use your leftovers. It’s arrestingly beautiful (in salad terms) not because you need to perform kitchen gymnastics, but because the basic ingredients are so effing gorgeous in their own right. This is just as as perfect for a solo lunch as it is for a large gathering with the added bonus that this is a rare salad that actually benefits from hanging out in the dressing for a little while before serving. The ingredients are robust enough that they don’t wilt and the croutons become even more delicious with the lemony verde situ.
This panzanella held it’s own alongside the famous potato pizza for the bread filled menu for the guests at my In Conversation with Jim Lahey last week to celebrate the launch of the 15th Anniversary Edition of My Bread. You can hear our lively chat here where Jim talks about how he stumbled into baking, adventures in Tuscany, the famous No Knead bread recipe, surviving the pandemic and future dreams for Sullivan Street Bakery. Make a cup of tea and have a listen. There are some priceless nuggets in there.
I went a little quantity crazy last week, but I’ve adjusted the quantities for 4-6 people rather than the 40 or so I served last week. It’s a great party dish, easily scaled up for a crowd and for your upcoming festive feasts.
(scenes from In conversation with Jim Lahey)
The Salad
- 1 head radicchio
- 1.5kg your favourite pumpkin or squash, Blue Hubbard, Hokkaido or Acorn work well
- 2 red onions
- a good glug (1-2tbsp) of confit garlic oil or olive oil
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
- a few thyme sprigs
- some pickled celery (or 1 fennel, sliced on a mandolin)
- 1 batch croutons
- a handful of mint leaves
- 50g feta, crumbled over the top (optional)
- If you have some leftover sprout tops they are also delicious here
Grilled Lemon, Olive & Caper Dressing
- 60ml + 1tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 medium unwaxed lemon, preferably organic
- 1 tsp salt
- pinch of Aleppo pepper (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves either finely chopped or preferably confit
- 1 tbsp capers
- 12-14 large pitted green olives
- 1 large bunch of parsley
- 4 tarragon sprigs
- 1 tsp sugar or honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (more to taste)
- additional salt and pepper to taste
Roast the Squash:
Preheat your oven to 200C (400F)
To slice your pumpkins with ease, use this hack.
Peel and cut the red onions into 8-12 wedges through the root (depending on their size)
Place the slices on a tray or two (depending on their size) lined with baking parchment.
Drizzle the wedges with a couple of tablespoons of garlic oil or olive oil and salt, Aleppo pepper or chili flakes and ground allspice. Sprinkle over some thyme sprigs and gently mix everything together so they are all coated in the flavours. Arrange in one layer on the pan(s).
Roast in a hot oven for 30 minutes, turning half way thought. If you are using smaller squash they might not need as long on their second side.
Make the salsa:
Wash, dry and thinly slice the lemon, thinly but keeping the rounds whole (3-5mm thick). Remove the pips if you are so inclined.
Place a medium sized frying pan or sauté pan with a lid onto the a medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil.
When warm but not too hot, lay the lemon slices in one layer (they will be snug) and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Allow to cook gently without moving for 2-3 minutes allowing them to begin to caramelise around the edges and the juice melts into the oil. Once caramelised and golden, turn the slices over in the pan. Add the garlic and Aleppo pepper if using and allow to cook down all together for another minute or so, turning everything over together.
Add the capers and olives and allow them to roast and blister slightly in the lemony oil for a couple of minutes.
Meanwhile, remove the parsley and tarragon leaves from the stems and roughly chop.
Transfer everything either to a board to chop by hand or to a food processor if you prefer. I like to hand chop and keep this on the chunkier more textures side.
Transfer into a bowl and add the lemon juice, sugar (or honey) and a little extra salt to taste, followed by enough of the remaining olive oil to make a good sauce, adding more or less depending on your desire. The consistency should be of a spooning sauce but you might want it thinner for a dressing. As a guide, the chopped ingredients should be bound by the oil, but the oil should not be pooling out.
Assemble the salad:
I like to make this on a flat plate and essentially in two layers. I start with a bed of radicchio leaves. I keep my leaves torn into quite large pieces, but you do you here and make them larger or smaller to your desire.
Then layer on some of the roasted squash/pumpkin and red onions, a little pickled celery, some croutons and mint leaves and some crumbled feta (if using)
Generously drizzle some of the lemon caper salsa verde dressing, and repeat another layer of ingredients over the top of the firs, allowing the bottom layer to peek through and dress, finishing off with some feta and mint leaves.
This assembly technique only works on a flat plate rather than a bowl as it allows everything to be properly dressed without too much tossing. If you only have a bowl to hand, cut your squash/pumpkin slices in half after they are cooked so it’s easier to toss and dress in a bowl.
Allow all the ingredients here to hang out with the dressing for a little while before serving. They are robust enough not to wilt and the croutons really benefit from the time.
Have you made this dish?
Let me know what you think, share your efforts and any tweaks you made to the recipe on Instagram, don’t forget to tag #BuildingFeasts or email me on info@buildingfeasts.com
