One of the terrible jokes I remember from my childhood involves a nearsighted old lady who walks into a pet shop by mistake for a kitchen store, and asks to buy an infra-red griller. The pet shop salesman replies solemnly that they are out of stock on those, but he can offer her an ultraviolet chimpanzee...
So, why grillers? Well, in March, after more than a year of peregrinage, we finally moved to our new flat in Edinburgh. This meant a tremendous amount of sorting, discarding, packing, transporting and unpacking, including deciding what from the kitchen should come with us and what should really have been thrown out years ago.
It also meant a new kitchen. The new kitchen is equipped with a fridge that is less than half the size of our previous one, a range hood and exhaust fan neither of which work properly, and the induction stove from hell. The combination of the latter two factors resulted, the first dozen times I tried to cook bacon, in the flat filling with smoke and the alarm going off. Worse still, none of my large pots, deep skillets or my wok would work on the stove.
The net effect of this has been that my cooking has changed considerably. Stir-fries are right out; simmering anything on low heat is a dubious prospect, to say nothing of the pan size problem, so stews and curries are likewise off the menu. In place of these, however, the oven and griller (infrared or otherwise) are getting a good workout, as a way of putting a nice browning on things without burning them to all hell and causing the fire brigade to come. Roasted vegetables tossed with some sort of dressing are pretty much my go-to weeknight dinner, when it's just me.
Of course, it usually isn't just me, and most people don't share my love of roasted broccoli and brussels sprouts. So how does one entertain, when one's usual methods of cooking and repertoire of dishes have gone out the window? Clearly, one invents a new dish, and then proceeds to make it Every Single Time people come over. I estimate I've cooked this every week for the last month, but when it's so easy and delicious, it's hard to stop! The sweet-tart juices of the grilled tomatoes contribute to a natural dressing for the slightly-charred beans, contrasting with the salty feta and the fresh mint, with some crunch from the toasted almonds, and the whole thing comes together in less than 10 minutes. Plus it looks great with all the contrasting colours, textures and shapes. You can't do that with an ultraviolet chimpanzee...
Grilled green bean, tomato, feta and mint salad
1 packet (200g?) green beans, top'n'tailed
1 packet (200g?) cherry tomatoes
olive oil, salt, pepper
zest and juice of a lemon
balsamic syrup (optional)
good handful fresh mint, chopped
50 g feta cheese, crumbled
small handful roasted almonds, chopped
Heat up the grill (broiler, if you're American). Spread the beans on a tray, throw the tomatoes on top, drizzle with olive oil, and toss with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place under the grill for a few minutes, until the vegetables begin to brown and char on one side. Turn so the brown bits are down and grill for a couple more minutes, until beans are cooked and the tomatoes are just popping their skins. Transfer to a plate, season with more pepper, zest the lemon over the pile and squeeze the juice on top, drizzle with more good olive oil and balsamic syrup (adds more depth to the sweet-tart flavour, but if you're Lee and don't like vinegar, it can be left out), scatter the mint and feta on top, give it a light toss to combine those flavours and then finish with roasted almonds. Done making!
