Salads

Moroccan Beef Salad with Pistachio Fried Goat Cheese

Substitute sirloin with rump or ribeye steak.

Cooking guideline based on 3cm thick steak

Rare: 4 minutes on each side

Med-rare: 5 minutes on each side (recommended)

Medium: 6 minutes on each side

Well-done: Not recommended

Recipe overview

Prep: 20 min
Cooking: 10 min
Ready in 30 min
Serves 4 people

Ingredients

2 350g sirloin steak
Olive oil
2 Tbsp ras el hanout spice
Naan bread, for serving (optional)

Fresh salad ingredients:
200g mixture of watercress, baby spinach, rocket and mint
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 grapefruit, sliced
1 orange, sliced
1 clementine, segmented
Medjool dates, de-pitted and sliced

Citrus vinaigrette:
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine/sherry vinegar
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste

Fried goat’s cheese rounds:
2 x 100g soft chevin goat cheese logs (chèvre)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
30g pistachio nuts
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
Pinch of salt
1 egg
Vegetable oil, for frying

Tips and tricks

Put the chevin goat cheese logs in the freezer for a few minutes so they’re easier to slice.

Ras el Hanout is a Moroccan spice blend that can contain anywhere between 10 to 100 different types of North African spices. An easy substitute is to use equal parts of ground cumin, coriander, ginger, paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper and cinnamon.

Method

Prepare all of the fresh ingredients for the salad and combine in a large bowl or on a platter.
In a small bowl, mix all the vinaigrette ingredients together and set aside.
Lightly coat the sirloin steak in olive oil and season with ras el hanout spice rub.
Grill the steak on a hot fire or griddle pan, turning to cook on both sides to your preferred doneness (see cooking guideline above).
Allow the meat to rest for half its cooking time.
In the meantime, using a mortar and pestle crush the pistachio nuts into fine pieces and in a bowl combine with the bread crumbs, parsley, mint and salt. Crack the egg into a separate bowl and whisk well.
Slice each goat cheese log into about 6 rounds, wiping the knife in between cuts. Dip each slice into the beaten egg and then dredge them through the pistachio mixture until well coated on both sides.
Heat a small saucepan over a medium-high heat and add around 3cm of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, gently place one goat cheese round at a time in the oil and fry for a few seconds per side until golden brown.
Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the steak and toss into the salad.
Dress the salad with the citrus vinaigrette and garnish with the pistachio crusted fried goat cheese. Serve with warm naan bread.