Avocado and asparagus salad, Bellota ham, lemon oil dressing
- Starter
- Medium
- 4
- 30 minutes
PT30M
The cured ham used in Alan Murchison's salad dish is a little bit special – it features the top grade of ham produced in Spain: jamón Ibérico de Bellota. This is not to be confused with the mass-produced Serrano hams. Make the avocado purée 2 to 3 hours before you want to use it to allow the flavours to infuse, and keep it in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
Salad
- 8 long croutons , cut from a baguette
- olive oil
- 8 asparagus spears , blanched
- 12 red chicory leaves
- 4 pissant leaves
- 100g of jamón Ibérico de Bellota , cut into batons
- 50g of Parmesan shavings
- 1 handful of pea shoots
Avocado purée
- 2 avocados , peeled and stoned
- 2 limes , juiced
- 60ml of water
- 85ml of olive oil
- 25g of coriander
- 1 green chilli , deseeded
- 2 large spring onions , cut in 2 cm lengths
- 1 large shallot , peeled and quartered
- 1/2 tsp salt
- pepper
Guacamole
- 2 avocados , peeled and stoned
- 5g of coriander
- 1 chilli
- 70g of red onion
- 1 lime , juiced
- 1 plum tomato , peeled and deseeded
- 40ml of extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Lemon oil dressing
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp of sugar
- 2 lemons , skin thinly peeled
- 200ml of lemon juice , fresh
- 220ml of olive oil
- 220ml of groundnut oil
- 50ml of white wine vinegar
- salt
- pepper
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Method
2
Finely chop the chilli, coriander, spring onions and shallots and drop them into the blender whilst continuously blending
- 2 large spring onions , cut in 2 cm lengths
- 1 large shallot , peeled and quatered
- 25g of coriander
- 1 green chilli , deseeded
5
Finely chop the red onion. Add the onion, chilli, coriander and remaining ingredients to the blender until the tomato is chopped. Season to taste. Set aside and clean the blender ready for the lemon dressing
- 70g of red onion
- 2 avocados , peeled and stoned
- 1 lime , juiced
- 1 plum tomato , peeled and deseeded
- 40ml of extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- pepper
7
Add the rest of the ingredients and blend for 1 minute. Add more sugar if necessary and season to taste. The dressing will keep in a sterilised bottle in the refrigerator for up to three weeks
- 200ml of lemon juice , fresh
- 220ml of olive oil
- 220ml of groundnut oil
- 50ml of white wine vinegar
- salt
- pepper
8
To make the salad, brush the croutons with olive oil and bake until golden. Blanch the asparagus spears
- 8 long croutons , cut from a baguette
- olive oil, for brushing
- 8 asparagus spears , blanched
9
To plate, place a quarter of the guacamole on the top and the centre of a large square white plate
10
Place three chicory leaves into the guacamole so they are standing vertically and are evenly spaced
11
Place a crouton horizontally between the first and second, and second and third chicory leaf
12
Place a single pissant leaf in front of the central chicory leaf so that it stands vertically and leaning slightly forward
- 4 pissant leaves
13
Spoon on two stripes of avocado purée from the centre of the mound of guacamole to the bottom two corners of the plate and place an asparagus spear next to each
14
Scatter over a quarter of the ham batons, Parmesan shavings and pea shoots and finish the plate with drops of the lemon dressing. Repeat the entire process on the remaining three plates
- 50g of Parmesan shavings
- 0 handful of pea shoots
- 100g of bellota ham
Discover more:
Go to Comments
Avocado and asparagus salad, Bellota ham, lemon oil dressing
