Super grain salad with duck fat roasted vegetables

Duck fat is the most ridiculously delicious stuff for roasting veggies and it really takes this otherwise simple grain salad to the next level. Keep the skin on the sweet potato as it’s full of antioxidants and be led by your grocery store, parsnips, butternut squash/pumpkin, carrots and celeriac all work a treat too. I suggest you cook the quinoa separately from the millet and buckwheat (as quinoa cooks more quickly) however, when I’m feeling REALLY lazy, I throw them all in together. Whenever I make this, I double the batch for lunch and dinner for the following few days.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Duck fat roasted vegetables

• 8-900 g mixed vegetables, cut into even size chunks or wedges (I used beetroot, sweet potato and Spanish onion)
• 3-4 tablespoons duck fat (or olive oil)
• sea salt and pepper

Salad

• 100 g (3½ oz) raw buckwheat, washed and drained
• 250 ml (8 fl oz) chicken stock/broth or water
• 100 g (3½ oz) tricolor quinoa, washed and drained
• 250 ml (8 fl oz) chicken stock/broth or water
  3 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
• A few handfuls of coarsely chopped fresh herbs (flat leaf parsley, basil, tarragon and/or dill)

Red wine dressing

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 lemon, juiced
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC (400ºF).
2. Start by roasting the vegetables. Toss chopped vegetables with melted duck fat and season generously with salt and pepper. Place vegetables on a lined baking tray, in a single layer and roast in the oven for 30–40 minutes or until golden around the edges.
3. Place the buckwheat and broth in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the grains are tender, about 20 minutes (check your packet instructions). Uncover, fluff with a fork and set aside.
4. Place quinoa and broth (or water) in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover, fluff the quinoa with a fork and set aside to allow to cool.
5. Place quinoa and buckwheat in a large bowl. Add roasted vegetables, spring onions and herbs.
6. Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a small jug. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to combine.
7. Divide between bowls and scatter with extra herbs, to serve.