Name: Blood plum, burrata and watercress salad with toasted barley
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 200 gm (1 cup) pearl barley; 6 blood plums, cut into wedges; 2 baby fennel, thinly shaved on a mandolin, fronds reserved; 350 gm watercress, sprigs picked; 1 golden shallot, thinly sliced on a mandolin; 2 burrata, drained; Basil vinaigrette; 125 ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve; 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar; 1 garlic clove, finely grated; 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed; Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 tbsp lemon juice; ½ cup basil leaves

A recipe that proves you can have a salad that’s light but satisfying, with earthy pearl barley and the creamy goodness of burrata to boot. Choose plums that are ripe but still firm for this recipe. Peaches or nectarines would also work well.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

200 gm (1 cup) pearl barley

6 blood plums, cut into wedges

2 baby fennel, thinly shaved on a mandolin, fronds reserved

350 gm watercress, sprigs picked

1 golden shallot, thinly sliced on a mandolin

2 burrata, drained

Basil vinaigrette

125 ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve

2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, finely grated

1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 tbsp lemon juice

½ cup basil leaves

Method

1.Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add barley and cook, stirring, until golden and toasted (3-4 minutes). Add 2 litres water and bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium and simmer until tender (20 minutes). Drain, then rinse and drain well. Transfer to a bowl and chill until ready to serve.

2.Meanwhile, for basil vinaigrette, whisk oil, vinegar, garlic, fennel seeds, zest and juice, and ¼ cup finely chopped reserved fennel fronds in a jug and season to taste. Transfer half the dressing to the bowl with barley, toss to coat and season to taste. Add basil to remaining dressing and blend with a hand-held blender until smooth.

3.Scatter barley mixture over serving plates, top with plum wedges, shaved fennel, watercress, shallot and burrata. Drizzle with basil vinaigrette and extra-virgin olive oil to serve.

Maxwell Adey Senior Food Editor & Stylist

Maxwell has always been passionate about food. Born into a restaurateur and award-winning produce farming family, he was strongly steered into pursuing a career in advertising after completing his Bachelor of Public Communication at University of Technology, Sydney. After a very short stint, he decided to enrol in Commercial Cookery at TAFE to follow his true passion. Maxwell started out working in some of Sydney’s finest restaurants (Est., Claude’s and Moon Park) which helped further his love of all things culinary and developed his technical ability to cook. Later, he was lured into the magical world of food publishing where he freelanced for ten years for notable Australian commercial and editorial brands. He has also run his own business where he sells his marinated olives, dressings and sauces at food markets and select retailers. He excitingly joins the Gourmet Traveller team to bring his technical and creative expertise in food to the brand.

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Styling by Vivien Walsh

Ingredients

Method

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