Top Pickers

Warm summer salad with sirloin steak and shamrock greens

This delicious dish from Great British Chefs and ‘The Food I Eat’ blogger Rachel Walker makes for a very tasty supper. Featuring some of Ireland’s best food offerings – Irish beef, soda bread, kale and pearl barley, make this salad on St Patrick’s day, or any time during the warm summer months.

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Warm summer salad with sirloin steak and shamrock greens

For the soda bread croutons

  • 150 g plain flour
  • 150 g self-raising wholemeal flour
  • ¬? tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ¬? tsp salt
  • 284 ml pot of buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp rock salt
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary

For the warm salad

  • 15 g butter
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 125 g pearl barley
  • 500 ml vegetable stock
  • 1 courgette, diced
  • 80 g kale, picked
  • 100g tender stem broccoli, sliced at 2cm intervals

For the green sauce

  • 10 g tarragon, picked
  • 10 g flat leaf parsley, picked
  • 25 g walnuts
  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar
  • salt

For the soda bread croutons

  • 150 g plain flour
  • 150 g self-raising wholemeal flour
  • ¬? tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ¬? tsp salt
  • 284 ml pot of buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp rock salt
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary

For the warm salad

  • 15 g butter
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 125 g pearl barley
  • 500 ml vegetable stock
  • 1 courgette, diced
  • 80 g kale, picked
  • 100g tender stem broccoli, sliced at 2cm intervals

For the green sauce

  • 10 g tarragon, picked
  • 10 g flat leaf parsley, picked
  • 25 g walnuts
  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar
  • salt
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Step 1

To make the soda bread croutons, tip the plain flour, self-raising wholemeal flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a mixing bowl and combine. Make a well in the centre, and then pour in the buttermilk. Bring together the dough with a knife. Knead, shape, and then put in a 200¬?C/400¬?F/Gas Mark 6 oven for 30 minutes, until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Step 2

Once the soda bread has cooled, roughly tear up the roll. Put it in a roasting tray, toss in the olive oil, add the rosemary and rock salt, and return it to the oven for ten minutes until the croutons are golden and crisp.

Step 3

To make the base of the warm salad, sweat the onion in the butter. When translucent, add the garlic and cook for a further minute, and then tip the pearl barley into the pan and stir so that it’s coated in the buttery onion and garlic. Add the vegetable stock, and then allow it to simmer for 30 minutes, until the stock has been absorbed, and the pearl barley is plump and juicy.

Step 4

While the pearl barley is cooking, make the green sauce. Grind the walnuts, tarragon and parsley in a pestle and mortar, and then slowly drizzle in the oil so that the sauce develops a pesto-like consistency. Season with a dash of salt and red wine vinegar.

Step 5

Make sure that all the ‘shamrock greens’ are cut or torn to the same size – so that they all cook evenly. If the pearl barley has absorbed all its liquid, then add 1-2 tbsp of water, enough to create steam to cook the courgette, kale and broccoli. Add the greens to the pearl barley risotto, and stir through for 2-4 minutes, so they’re still al dente. Stir 1-2 tbsp of the green sauce through the salad. Divide between two plates.

Step 6

Coat the sirloin steaks in olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cook on a high heat in a griddle pan, to personal preference.

Step 7

Slice the steaks, and place on top of the pearl barley and vegetables. Top with the croutons, and the remaining green sauce.

Copy Text

Step 1

To make the soda bread croutons, tip the plain flour, self-raising wholemeal flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a mixing bowl and combine. Make a well in the centre, and then pour in the buttermilk. Bring together the dough with a knife. Knead, shape, and then put in a 200¬?C/400¬?F/Gas Mark 6 oven for 30 minutes, until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Step 2

Once the soda bread has cooled, roughly tear up the roll. Put it in a roasting tray, toss in the olive oil, add the rosemary and rock salt, and return it to the oven for ten minutes until the croutons are golden and crisp.

Step 3

To make the base of the warm salad, sweat the onion in the butter. When translucent, add the garlic and cook for a further minute, and then tip the pearl barley into the pan and stir so that it’s coated in the buttery onion and garlic. Add the vegetable stock, and then allow it to simmer for 30 minutes, until the stock has been absorbed, and the pearl barley is plump and juicy.

Step 4

While the pearl barley is cooking, make the green sauce. Grind the walnuts, tarragon and parsley in a pestle and mortar, and then slowly drizzle in the oil so that the sauce develops a pesto-like consistency. Season with a dash of salt and red wine vinegar.

Step 5

Make sure that all the ‘shamrock greens’ are cut or torn to the same size – so that they all cook evenly. If the pearl barley has absorbed all its liquid, then add 1-2 tbsp of water, enough to create steam to cook the courgette, kale and broccoli. Add the greens to the pearl barley risotto, and stir through for 2-4 minutes, so they’re still al dente. Stir 1-2 tbsp of the green sauce through the salad. Divide between two plates.

Step 6

Coat the sirloin steaks in olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cook on a high heat in a griddle pan, to personal preference.

Step 7

Slice the steaks, and place on top of the pearl barley and vegetables. Top with the croutons, and the remaining green sauce.