From the finest of tables that decorate the name of Haute cuisines, we have brought to you a dish by Chef Marcus Gericke called the Forest Salad. Try it out!
Marcus Gericke is a well-known chef loved for his work in Africa and the Middle East. He uses bold flavours and smoky blends to create a dish that highlights fine dining. He recently released his cookbook that melted the heart of millions epitomising his creative cuisines. One that led to a rise in his followers was the Forest Salad. Here he reimagines the salad bowl and turns it into the interpretation of each individual. For doing so, he encapsulates a healthy lifestyle and offers something unique to carry along for a party or even a braai. It may not be completely vegan, but can be made so by removal of just one ingredient.
The Forest Salad tastes of simplicity at its finest. Although it focuses on a plant-based diet, it can easily accompany a meat dish as the additional goat cheese balances out the fresh flavour. Gericke says, The addition of goats cheese makes this salad a satisfying main dish in its own right. With roast tomatoes, fried eggplant, a pea yoghurt, and pea chimichurri dressing, it’s very much a showcase of summer ingredients, but can be adapted by using any seasonal produce available at the time.
Chef Marcus pays a tribute to his late father with this dish. His loving memory where he used to experiment with different flavours and ingredients with his father still brightens up the taste in Chef Marcuss dishes. He says, I’m sure he is looking down smiling and probably kicking himself as he didn’t think of it first. Here’s how the recipe goes:
Chef Marcus pays a tribute to his late father with this dish.
To prepare this dish exactly like Chef Marcus you will have to prepare the main ingredients separately and mix them by the end. You will need to prepare a Chimichurri, Pea Yogurt, Phyllo cups, Pickled Onions and then the salad. For Pickled Red Onions, you need to boil red thinly sliced onions in a mixture of water, honey, thyme and vinegar. For the Yoghurt, blend 100g peas with yoghurt and prepare a thick puree. For Phyllo Cups, brush phyllo pastry square cuts with melted butter and place them in a muffin tin to form a cup. Bake them at 180 degrees until they turn golden brown. For the salad, saute sliced eggplant in oil for 2 minutes and roast some tomatoes with oil and 10g of thyme. Now, all there’s left to do is to assemble everything for the salad, add some Blanch Peas and finally crumble some goat’s cheese and garnish with edible flowers.
