Ilan Hall’s Cucumber Salad
With Ilan Hall’s cucumber salad, starring cucumber, avocado, za’atar and fried chickpeas — how could you go wrong? Image by Martyna Starosta
To see the chef make this salad as part of a spring brunch, .
At the Gorbals, we use Persian cucumbers, as the seeds are not as large and bitter as English cucumbers.
For the dressing
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2½ teaspoon sumac
1½ teaspoons za’atar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Salt to taste
4 small cucumbers
1 avocado
Sumac dressing (see below)
Fried Chickpeas (see method below)
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For the dressing: Whisk all of the ingredients together to combine. (Makes 1½ cups dressing.)
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Peel the cucumbers and cut into small bite-size pieces. Peel the avocado and cut to a similar size.
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Toss gently with sumac dressing and top with fried chickpeas.
To make the chickpeas: Drain cooked chickpeas, if they are canned, rinse gently and then drain well. Heat an inch of oil to 350˚ F. Using a metal strainer large enough to fit comfortably in the pot of oil, carefully submerge the chickpeas in the hot oil. The beans can hold water under the skin, so be careful for spills. Fry until golden, drain the oil. Toss the warm chickpeas with salt and pepper.
Ilan Hall is chef-owner of The Gorbals.
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