Daz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

As daylight saving looms and the weather gets warmer, there is the between season of spring. I see the first shoots of asparagus are in store at a high price – so I'll leave the asparagus custard tarts for another day.

Instead, we will talk about the perfect food for this time of the year; warm salads. Not enough of us are eating salad as a main option – instead opting for bread, chips, potato or rice. As my research has found, many people are eating unhealthy hurried lunches; a mountain of bread rolls, sandwiches, pies and fries. Then there is the healthy sushi – don't get me started.

How about instead a Cajun beef salad. This most popular one I have created is a true fusion dish. From the rustic Italian-style rosemary potatoes, Cajun style spices, seared baby onion, garlic aioli, yoghurt, fresh salad greens and prime beef. This dish is a great main meal or starter and it goes very well with a pinot noir.

Cajun Beef Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients

Rosemary potatoes

3 large Argia potatoes

2 stalks rosemary

Salt

Pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

2 sirloin steaks trimmed and cut into strips

6-8 pickling onions

Garlic yoghurt aioli

2 egg yokes

3 small garlic cloves

1/4 litre olive oil

Lemon juice to taste

1/2 litre cannola oil

1/2 litre Greek yoghurt

Cajun spice rub

1 Tbsp thyme

1 Tbsp rosemary, dried then crushed

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp of chilli powder

Salad greens

Mixed salad leaves

Cucumber slices

Tomato quarters

Balsamic vinaigrette

1 cup salad oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp mustard

Method

Scrub potatoes well cut into cubes, season with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary, bake in the oven till well roasted – about 25 minutes. Make the aioli by blending the egg yokes, garlic cloves and lemon juice together in a blender and slowly adding the olive and canolla oil – work into a mayonnaise, being careful to slowly add the oil to emulsify the mix. Once you have a thick mayonnaise, stir in the yoghurt.
Mix the salad greens together with the balsamic vinaigrette and place on plates. Cut the onions length ways, toss in hot pan then add some rosemary potatoes. Peel off any burnt onion skin, add strips of beef and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning. Stir fry quickly on a high heat and place hot mixture around salad greens. Dress the salad with yoghurt garlic aioli and your warm Cajun beef salad is ready to devour.