Roasted Butternut Salad Recipe

Roasted Butternut Salad

Recipe by Jackie Cameron

A braai “aint” a braai without the humble butternut. Try this roasted and pan-caramelised butternut salad served with brown lentils, “shisa” red chillies, seared tender baby leeks and creamy feta cheese. It provides for an interesting combination of slightly sweet and savoury. Tantalising!

Roasted Butternut Salad with Brown Lentils, “shisa” Red Chillies, baby Leeks and Creamy Feta Cheese

Yields : 4

Ingredients :

Dressing

4 T Olive Oil

2 T White Wine Vinegar

1 T Chilli Powder

Salad

½ cup uncooked Brown Lentils

290 g cooked Butternut

90g Butter

5ml salted Butter

8 Baby Leeks - cut in half

70g Goat’s Cheese Feta (or normal creamy feta cheese)

Red Chilli to taste-sliced

Salt and Pepper

Method:

1) For the dressing add the white wine vinegar to the olive oil and flavour with the chilli powder. Set aside

2) Soak, cook the lentils and set aside to cool

3) Cut blocks of butternut, roast with the 90g butter until caramelised. Set aside to cool

4) In 5ml butter pan sear the leeks and set aside

5) Incorporate all the ingredients together finishing with the fresh red chilli, salt and pepper to taste and the feta cheese

Please post your comments and any food-related questions below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jackie Cameron 
Head Chef 
Hartford House
www.hartford.co.za
jackie@hartford.co.za
+27 33 263 2713

Comments

[Cathy]

Under Method, item 2. How long do you soak the lentils? How long do you cook the lentils? How much water is used to soak and cook the lentils?

Under Method, item 3. How long does it take for the butternut to caramelize? I presume the oven should be set to 180 degrees C?

Thanks.
Cathy

[Jackie Cameron]

Hi Cathy

Answers to your questions. The best situation is when you soak the lentils overnight. When soaking and cooking just cover with water an exact amount is not necessary. Do use clean water on cooking though and not the water that you soaked the lentils in. Cook the lentils until just tender.

All butternut will caramelise at a different time depending on the exact size of each cube and the quality of butternut you are using. Yes, you can caramelise at 180C and after 15-30 or so minutes check on this and continue cooking if need be.

I am sure this will help and please let me know if you have any other foodie questions.

All the best with this.

Yours in hospitality
Jacqueline Cameron
(Head Chef)