easyTime:< 30 minsServes:4
When The Palomar opened in Paddington in October, Sydney diners were introduced to a cucumber salad with an international cult following.
“It’s fresh, herbaceous, and has multiple elements of crunch,” says culinary director Mitch Orr, who previously led the kitchen at Ace Hotel Sydney restaurant Kiln and before that Acme.
Listed innocuously as “cucumbers, green tahini, crispy chilli”, the dish was developed under head chef Dan Murray at London’s original Palomar, where it built a following.
Though Orr was a sceptic at first, the dish became one of the few to be replicated in its entirety in Sydney. “When we were initially discussing the menu and dish ideas, I questioned the candied almonds,” Orr admits. “[But] when I ate the dish in London, I was proven wrong; it really works. I knew that it would translate perfectly to Sydney.”
The kitchen sources the best produce available and plans to use heirloom cucumbers from Newcastle Greens as soon as their first crop is ready.
Not a fan of cucumbers? This might be the dish to convert you. “The cucumbers and the almonds give that great texture,” Orr says. “You get earthiness from the tahini and the almonds, then you get that warm umami heat from the chilli. It all ties in so nicely.”
While the restaurant has shared the full recipe, you could take a sneaky shortcut with store-bought crispy chilli oil, pickles, candied almonds, and green tahini (though results may vary). It’s also an ideal choice for plant-based entertaining – simply swap the honey in the almonds for agave or maple syrup.
Tips
Mitch Orr encourages home cooks to adapt the recipe to suit their own tastes. “Do you like more lemon in it? Add more! Do you like more chilli? Add more!”
When making the chilli crisp, expect smoke. “Get the oil smoking hot before you add everything to really bring out the flavour,” Orr says. “Open the windows in your house, turn your exhaust on and be very careful.”
