Grilled red onion salad with hazelnut aillade

Name: Grilled red onion salad with hazelnut aillade
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 4 Spanish onions, cut widthways into 1.5cm-thick slices; 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing; 1 cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped; ¼ cup (loosely packed) oregano leaves; 1 tbsp thyme leaves; 45 gm (¼ cup) hazelnuts; 1 garlic clove; 60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 orange, zested rind only

Australian Gourmet Traveller barbecue recipe for grilled red onion salad with hazelnut aillade.

Nov 04, 2009 9:58pm

By Rodney Dunn

Serves 6
15 mins preparation
25 mins cooking

Grilled red onion salad with hazelnut aillade

Onion, often relegated to mere burger garnish, is a star ingredient in this dish, which is great served with grilled fish or chicken. Aillade is a thick sauce of puréed garlic and pounded walnuts. This version uses hazelnuts but you can substitute any nut you wish.

Ingredients

4 Spanish onions, cut widthways into 1.5cm-thick slices
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
1 cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
¼ cup (loosely packed) oregano leaves
1 tbsp thyme leaves

Hazelnut aillade

45 gm (¼ cup) hazelnuts
1 garlic clove
60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
1 orange, zested rind only

Method

Main

1
For hazelnut aillade, preheat oven to 180C. Roast hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking tray until golden and fragrant (5-7 minutes), cool, rub with a tea towel to remove skins, set aside. Meanwhile, pound garlic in a mortar and pestle to a fine paste, then transfer to a small bowl. Pound hazelnuts in a mortar and pestle until fine, then stir in garlic paste, olive oil and orange rind. Season to taste.
2
Preheat a char-grill or barbecue to medium heat. Brush onion slices with oil and grill, turning once, until tender (8 minutes each side). While warm, combine in a bowl with herbs, season to taste. Serve drizzled with aillade.