Once a ‘forbidden rice’ due to its rarity, this Black Rice Ssalad is an impressive recipe. Enhanced by the elusive purple broccolini, saltiness from the anchovies and the decadent undertones of buttery breadcrumbs, this salad deserves a place on your dinner table.
Wash the uncooked black rice thoroughly. Add the black rice and water into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium to high heat. Cover the saucepan and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Once it’s cooked, turn the heat off and let it sit for a further 10 minutes.
Wash the purple broccolini and pat dry. Trim 2 cm off the ends of the purple broccolini stems. In a medium sized mixing bowl, coat it with 2 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt. On a sheet pan, lay the purple broccolini out evenly and place in the oven at 180°C or 350°F for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus and discard. Cut asparagus into 3, diagonally. Blanch in boiling hot water for 1.5 minutes. Drain in a colander and run under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Pat dry.
Cut the bacon rashers into very small bits, preferably square.. Add 30g of butter to a fry pan and crisp bacon for 5 minutes. Add a further 30g of butter and add the panko breadcrumbs. Fry for another 5 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
Salad Dressing
Using a mortar and pestle, grind the anchovies until it forms a paste.
Add 3 tbsp of olive oil, red wine vinegar and juice of ½ a lemon. Mix and grind until well combined.
Assembly
Use a flat plate or platter for this black rice salad.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the black rice, ¾ of the bacon breadcrumbs ¾ of the asparagus and dressing. Mix until well combined.
Place the mixture onto the plate. Add the purple broccolini and the rest of the asparagus and bacon breadcrumbs on top.
Serve immediately.
Notes
Purple broccolini loses its colour if you boil it so if you wish to retain the colour, this recipe calls for roasting.
You can substitute purple broccolini with green broccolini or even broccoli.
You can substitute black rice for brown rice or a mixture of wild rice and brown rice.
You can use any type of breadcrumb for this recipe. Panko breadcrumbs are just fluffier.
Use gluten free breadcrumbs to make this black rice recipe gluten free.
This salad is to be eaten straightaway as the breadcrumbs will become soggy from the dressing if it’s left out for too long.