Burghul Salad with sliced leg ham
Burghul Salad with Sliced leg ham
Burghul is popular in the Middle East, also known as Bulgar, put simply it is a type of wheat kernel and can be bought either whole or cracked into fine, medium or coarse grains. They are usually pre-steamed and pre-baked, and to cook you simply soak them in water (the grains soak up the water). Indeed it is very similar in many ways to couscous.
Burghul salad is really delicious! Possibly the best salad I have ever eaten! The caramelised onion is definitely one of the strong points of this dish. It just combines such a wide variety of flavours together so nicely, from the onion to the parsley to the tomatoes and leg ham that it’s no wonder you need a solid backbone like burghul to hold it together. Sort of like a blank canvas just waiting for a multitude of paints and imaginative thought processes to combine. It gives a whole new meaning to the word salad!
Burghul Salad with sliced leg ham
Ingredients: 5 spring onions, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp caster sugar, 500g cherry tomatoes, 100g coarse cracked burghul, 1 tsp ground cumin, ˝ a lemon, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 bunch of flat leaf continental parsley roughly chopped, 100g sliced leg ham, off the bone, ˝ cup boiling water, sea salt, pepper
Steps: Put the burghul and cumin in a medium bowl and cover with ˝ cup boiling water. Leave to sit for 10 minutes to allow the grains to soak up the water.
Wash the spring onions, trim, then slice in half lengthways. In a small bowl combine the vinegar, olive oil and sugar, then add the spring onions to the mixture and toss until the onions are thoroughly coated. Place the onions on a foil-lined tray under the grill for 5-10 minutes or until the onions are caramelised and cooked. Place the cherry tomatoes under the grill for 5-10 minutes or until the skins are starting to split.
Stir through the burghul and drain any excess water. Add the roasted onions, parsley, tomatoes, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil to the burghul and mix. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper, then toss to combine. To serve place the sliced leg ham on the base of the dish then spoon the burghul salad over the top.
Serves 4-6
Tip! The idea of trying to buy burghul might seem difficult, but never fear! You can buy Burghul at your local health food shop!
So good!
