Bert’s zucchini, stracciatella and basil salad

Jordan Toft from Sydney's Bert's Bar and Brasserie shares his recipe for this quick summery salad, complete with lashings of stracciatella.

Serves 6

Prep

10M

Cook

Total

15M

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“Sides are an important part of the Bert’s menu,” says chef Jordan Toft. “Main courses tend to be unadorned, so this puts a focus on what accompanies them. Here, zucchini and squash are sliced, lightly seasoned and grilled for a few seconds over the embers, giving their sweet flavour a touch of bitterness. Lashings of creamy stracciatella, lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil dress the pair nicely, while fresh basil leaves tell you the sun’s out and proud. I finish with a sprinkle of sumac for added brightness.”

Ingredients

1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1½ tsp lemon juice

6 zucchini (Lebanese, green or black)

400 gm stracciatella (see note)

Basil leaves and sumac, to serve

Method

1.Burn down coals on a charcoal barbecue in a pile until embers are ashed over and reduced to medium-high heat (20-30 minutes), then spread embers out in an even layer. Alternatively, preheat a barbecue to medium-high heat.

2.Whisk oil and lemon juice in a bowl until emulsified and season to taste.

3.Slice zucchini into 3mm ribbons with a mandolin. Season to taste and grill, turning, until just starting to soften (1-2 minutes each side). Toss in lemon dressing and arrange in a serving bowl.

4.Spoon pieces of stracciatella over the zucchini, scatter with basil, drizzle with remaining lemon dressing and dust with a few pinches of sumac to serve.

Stracciatella is available from select cheese shops and Italian delicatessens. If it’s unavailable, use torn burrata or mozzarella.
Drink suggestion: A light-bodied sauvignon blanc, such as the 2015 “Pouilly-Fumé” from Domaine de la Loge, grown on flinty soils in the Loire Valley, France. Drink suggestion by Adrian Filiuta.
Notes

Profile Jordan Toft

Recipe / styling by Lisa Featherby

Ingredients

Method

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