salad

street salad (insalata di strada)

servings
Serves 4 to 6

method

In Palermo there's a night market called Il Borgo, where all the locals gather to eat at little stalls selling things like chickpea fritters, boiled baby octopus and some stuff that you wouldn't want to eat, like gizzards, spleen and other dirty wobbly things! A lot of the veg stalls have massive cauldrons of boiled potatoes and artichokes to serve to their customers – I guess you could say this is the original fast food – and they tasted absolutely brilliant.

Some of the stalls also make a version of this salad, which is absolutely delicious. They tend to dress it and have it hanging around for quite some time so it becomes a bit sloppy and past its best, but the principle of the salad is fantastic and all the locals absolutely adore it. In Sicily you can get these terrific Cedro lemons which are mainly pith and they are amazing in salads – but you may not be able to get hold of them. In this case I wouldn't recommend you use normal lemons as the flavor is quite different.

The way potatoes are cooked in Sicily is very long and very slow, on a low simmer with plenty of salt in the water. This is a fantastic method of making normal potatoes soft and floury, but in the case of new potatoes it would be a crime. So add them to fast-boiling salted water, as this will help retain a lot of their flavour, and cook them till nice and tender. The softer you can get them while still holding their shape, the better. While the potatoes are cooking, wash all your salad leaves and put them into a nice big bowl with the mint and fennel. If using a Cedro lemon, add the slices to the salad at this point.

For the dressing, mix the orange juice and vinegar in a glass jar or bowl with about twice as much extra virgin olive oil. Add the oregano and capers and season to taste with salt and pepper. Give it a good mix and have a taste. Don't forget that you want the flavor to be a little over the top, so that by the time you've dressed the salad with it and it has mixed with all the other flavors it's perfect because it's become more subtle. Drain the potatoes when cooked, then allow them to steam in a colander for 5 minutes. Throw them into the salad while still warm and toss together well. Absolutely fantastic – great with a plate of grilled fish or as a lunchie salad on its own.

• from Jamie's Italy

ingredients

• 500g/1lb 2oz new potatoes, scrubbed
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 handfuls of mixed crunchy salad leaves, e.g• radicchio, rocket, romaine
• a small handful of fresh mint, leaves picked and torn
• 1 bulb of fennel, halved and finely sliced, herby tops reserved
• optional: ½ a Cedro lemon, sliced wafer thin

for the Sicilian blood orange dressing
• juice of 1 blood orange
• 3 tablespoons good-quality white wine vinegar or herb vinegar
• extra virgin olive oil
a good pinch of dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons capers, washed if using salted, chopped if large
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

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tried this recipe or a similar one? share your tips...

1. by z on Tue 10 Feb 2009 @ 18:31

erm...hii i really like your recipes and me and my family watch your show and i love your salads..i tried to make one and it ame out fab!!
so thanks for kinda inspiring me =]

2. by yasmeen on Mon 28 Jul 2008 @ 11:33

Hey,

I am really 11 years old.But i love to cook.And i love your rescips its very simple.heres a q . Would it give the chicken taste if i stuf it with lemon and rub rosmerry and oil on it and cook?

thanks!!

3. by Ioana on Mon 28 Jul 2008 @ 07:43

Dear Jamie,
I have just won one of your books at a contest and I can hardly wait to start cooking:) I did try many of the recipes I saw on TV and they were easy to make and very tasty:)
Just wanted to thank you for being involved, for making people realize how important it is to know what to eat. I also appreciate Fifteen and your commitment to making children eat healthy!
Best of regards to you and your family!
Ioana:)

4. by Jean on Fri 25 Jul 2008 @ 08:59

For MARTIN PEPER -

Jamie's recipe for Thai Watermelon Salad from his book "Jamie's Dinners" - serves 4

1/4 of a watermelon
2 handfuls of fresh coriander, leaves picked
2 handfuls of rocket
2 handfuls of fresh mint, leaves picked
1 small bunch of radishes, finely sliced
a handful of peanuts or sunflower seeds
115gr/4oz fets cheese

Dressing -

a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 red, 1 yellow and 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
1 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
juice of 3 or 4 limes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove the skin from the watermelon and cut the flesh into small cubes, removing as many seeds as you can.

When you pick the coriander leaves remove the stringier part of the stalks but keep the finer ones, as they are nice to eat. Place in a bowl with the rocket, mint, watermelon and radishes. Put the ginger, chilli, soy sauce, olive oil and sesame oil into a smaller bowl and add just enough lime juice to cut through the oil - the number of limes you use will depend on how juicy they are. Season to taste and make sure the dressing is well balanced.

Place your peanuts or sunflower seeds in the oven or in a pan and warm through, then roughly pound them up in a pestle and mortar or in a metal bowl using the end of a rolling pin. Dress the salad really quickly. (You can use more dressing if you wish, but any left over is great to keep in the fridge to use the next day). Divide between the plates, sprinkle over the hot peanuts or sunflower seeds and crumble the feta cheese over the top.

Enjoy!

5. by martin peper on Thu 24 Jul 2008 @ 21:50

dear jamie,
please help me. I'm looking for the recipe of a salad with feta cheese, water melon and pine nuts.

A friend told me about this salad but he did not rember how the dress it.

Thank you for your help

martin peper^

6. by AnnaMarie Winkler on Wed 23 Jul 2008 @ 22:12

I loved the spot using squid that you put together for the Martha Stewart show. It ran Monday, July 21, 2008. Would you please list the squid salad recipe that was featured?
Thanks,
Ann

7. by Jean on Tue 22 Jul 2008 @ 14:51

For MICHAEL GRICE -

The recipe is on site.

Go to the list at the right hand side of this page. The recipe for English Onion Soup with Sage and Cheddar is there between the Crunchy Raw Beetroot salad and the Fresh Asian Noodle salad.

8. by Chris J on Tue 22 Jul 2008 @ 02:59

Where can I get/buy "Jamie at Home" series? I recently bought a new TV provider (Direct TV) and for some reason, never have seen it aired.

9. by Michael Grice on Mon 21 Jul 2008 @ 18:42

Hi.

I'm looking for the recipe for "English Onion Soup" that I recently viewed on "Jamie At Home". It looks terrific but went by so quickly on the TV that I'm a little hesitant to try it without reviewing the ingredients/procedures.

Thanks,

Michael

10. by Louie Reginald aday on Mon 21 Jul 2008 @ 12:45

you are in deed the greatest cook that i've watched in the television!!! can you send some of your recipes in my e-mail?? i will bbewaiing for that jamie!! thanks!!!

11. by Abby on Fri 18 Jul 2008 @ 11:07

Great potato tips in this recipe! (insalata della strada) i live in Italy and could never find decent potatoes - they are always too watery and yellow to make a nice mash or roasties but I'll try this one!

12. by Marisa Giovanna Puma on Fri 18 Jul 2008 @ 08:27

Jamie - You are the best :) never missed your shows when you aired in South Africa - keep up the good recipes and believe you me there's nobody like you - FAN FROM SOUTH AFRICA

13. by Jean on Thu 17 Jul 2008 @ 21:35

For JEN and OVE -

From the list at the top of the page select Soup and Salad. Scroll down, the recipe for the English onion soup with sage and cheddar is between the Crunchy raw Beetroot salad and the Fresh Asian Noodle Salad.

That is the only soup recipe listed.

14. by rose on Wed 16 Jul 2008 @ 09:50

I love watching his shows and I learned a lot...and still learning. On weekends, I try to cook some of his dishes.

Katherine:
I'm from the Philippines too. You can catch Jamie at the Discovery Travel and Living channel. He has two shows (as far as I know) -> Jamie at Home (Tuesday, 8:00 P.M.) and Jamie's Great Italian Escape. It has reruns on weekends. If you have a Food Network channel, check it out too. His shows may be in there. Good luck and enjoy cooking!

15. by Ove on Mon 14 Jul 2008 @ 10:47

Hi!
Your top meny says soup and salad. so, wheres the soup recipes!
Realy realy need the onion soup with cheddarbread recipe!!!!!

Thanks

16. by jen on Fri 11 Jul 2008 @ 09:27

ummm, i cant find the soup recipes!! yikes!!!

love your work, you are definitely a dude!!!

17. by Graham on Thu 10 Jul 2008 @ 17:45

Has anybody got Jamies Tomato Ketchup recipe? Thanks

18. by Katherine Candido on Mon 07 Jul 2008 @ 00:42

Hi Jamie thank you so much for your nice recipes it helps me alot even if i'm here already in the philippines but my problem is how and wen can i watch you in our own country....:) 'coz before in ireland i always watched you. i hope also i can find your books here in the philippines.... God bless always and your family

19. by nicole on Sun 06 Jul 2008 @ 15:46

Hey Jamie,
i love your food and your positivity, im struggling to find delicious vegetarian meals for my family.
All the best,
Nicole

20. by Jimmy F on Sat 05 Jul 2008 @ 07:36

Hi Everyone,

Went to my mums 70th Birthday party and there was a delicious lamb shank soup there. They told me it was a Jamie Oliver recipe. Where can I find it??

21. by Hedwig on Fri 04 Jul 2008 @ 15:08

All the recipes of Jamie are wonderful. I have all his books and they never disappointed me.

Simple and very tasty recipes. Lovely

22. by john on Thu 03 Jul 2008 @ 11:49

absolutely brilliant site easy to follow and the results have been appreciated by all who ate my salads and fish meals even the grandad kids are sampling greens and fish thank you

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