CHEF and blogger Paul James writes for our paper.
THIS DISH of warm salad, salty smoked pancetta and sweet grapes should take me to the Mediterranean, especially Italy.
I can just imagine sitting outside a restaurant with a cold glass of wine, enjoying the bustling but yet charming streets of Naples or Rome perhaps…
Yes, I should imagine that, but every time I make a salad with grapes as one of the ingredients I cannot help but not smile and giggle to myself about years gone by and my days working and setting up exhibitions at shows around the country – well before changing my career and becoming a proper serious chef.
You see, I’ve got this mate, Craig who I worked alongside with – in fact he’s still a very good friend of mine.
Now Craig is a 6ft something built like an outside toilet house and we were both known to partake in a few beers and frequenting shall I say dubious take-aways and eateries on our many jollies around the country.
Now maybe it was the linings on our stomachs which were wearing thin or most probably the Scrooge of a boss who refused to pay expenses, but I decided to make us both a packed lunch for one of our trips to London, in fact the bar show at Earl’s Court.
Now after a hard morning’s work setting up for the show and the inevitable arguments and confrontational situations that arose with other workers in the construction environment we decided to sit down and enjoy the packed lunches I had prepared for us the night previously.
Now the increasing tension between Craig, myself and the other workers that had built up until now was totally destroyed in seconds as Craig opened his lunch to see shaped tomatoes, diced cucumbers, various lettuce leaves from around the world dressed in a lovely vinaigrette and these selection of red and green grapes perfectly sliced and some even peeled. All of this on show to the other burley builder types!
Fair to say I don’t think my culinary technique and skill was appreciated…..
And yes you guessed it, after an unfortunate incident with a crate of lager, running engine in our van, we both enjoyed extra large kebabs with chilli sauce somewhere outside Wembley, London, at about midnight.
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WARM SALAD OF PANCETTA, SWEET POTATOES AND SPROUTS
Ingredients
200grams smoked pancetta
3 sweet potatoes, peeled
Handful of Sprouts
Mixed peppers diced
Grapes halved
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley
Method
1. Firstly peel the sweet potatoes and place whole in a saucepan of cold water.
2. Then top and tail the sprouts and also add them to the water.
3. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer until tender.
4. In the meantime add a tsp of olive oil to a hot frying pan and add the pancetta and diced peppers and cook until the pancetta is crisp and golden and the peppers are soft.
5. When the sweet potato has cooled down, dice and add them to pan along with the tender sprouts and slightly colour until the potatoes are slightly golden.
6. Transfer everything into a clean bowl, mix and season to taste.
7. Transfer to a warm plate or bowl and scatter on the halved grapes and fresh parsley.
Serve and enjoy!
