Strawberry Salad with Lemongrass Vinaigrette

We’re still in the throes of summer. Alright, who I am kidding. I’m loving the excessive heat, pool parties and the endlessness of summer days. And then there’s those summer nights …

*cues Grease song-and-dance interlude*

BUT OH THOSE SU-HU-MER NI-HIGHTS … TELL ME MORE, TELL ME MORE ..

*and SCENE*

Strawberries are on my list of favourite summer fruits so when I had this Strawberry Salad with Lemongrass Vinaigrette by Chef Reuben Riffel, I was ready and willing to be raptured. It has one “exotic” ingredient, Yuzu powder. Yuzu powder comes from a Japanese citrus fruit,
commonly likened to a wild mandarin orange crossed with a lemon. The yuzu powder has perfumed, lime blossom aromas, with a bitter pithiness from the skin. You can substitute with citrus zest, still as divine.

This recipe is too good not to share, so here you go. Thank me later.

Strawberry Salad with Lemongrass Vinaigrette

Serves 2

Ingredients

•2 cups quartered strawberries
•2 teaspoons fresh fennel leaves
•6 rose petals
•¼ cup edible flower petals
•½ teaspoon yuzu powder

Lemongrass Vinaigrette

•½ lemongrass stalk, cut into 2cm pieces
•¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
•Juice of ½ lemon
•½ teaspoon caster sugar
•1 teaspoon cream

1. Dress the strawberries and fennel leaves with 2 teaspoons of the vinaigrette. Evenly and decoratively pile the strawberries onto 2 serving plates.

2. Decorate with the rose petals, flower petals and fennel leaves.

3. Drizzle the rest of the dressing around and dust on the yuzu powder.

Lemongrass Vinaigrette

1. Using a pestle and mortar, crush the lemongrass into a paste.

2. Whisk in the oil, lemon juice, caster sugar and cream until it is emulsified and the sugar is dissolved.

3. Drizzle over salad

and Bon Appetit.