Ben Dearnley
“Cold salty cucumber just makes us happy,” says Jemma Whiteman, one half of Pinbone, who created this recipe for the Mr Liquor’s Dirty Italian Disco pop-up in Sydney. “This salad came about because we wanted all our favourite things in one bowl – sweet roasted onions, briny olives and refreshing cucumber. We work in a hot tin shed surrounded by wood fire so we love the fresh cooling effect of this tasty salad.”
Ingredients
Method
1.Combine cucumber with sugar, garlic and 1 tsp sea salt in a bowl and leave to pickle for at least 1 hour or refrigerate to pickle overnight.
2.Preheat oven to 200°C. Toss onion bulbs with half the olive oil, transfer to an oven tray lined with baking paper and roast, turning occasionally, until softened and starting to caramelise (25-30 minutes). Cool, then quarter onions lengthways.
3.Drain cucumber, combine with onions, olives, watercress, mint, oregano and onion tops. Dress with lemon juice, honey and remaining olive oil. Season with cracked black pepper – the cucumber and olives are already salty – and serve.
