Recipe: Avocado ponzu salad with crispy onions by Nina Parker of NINA

Nina Parker knows a thing or two about marrying flavours to make plant-based dishes sing. As the director of her own food company, NINA, an author of three cookbooks, and a chef with a little black book of clients including Donatella Versace, the multi-hyphenate has the skills, palate, and imagination to help bring simple food to another level. With the release of her latest cookbook, Saucy, Parker has inspired a following of home cooks to spice up their mushrooms, add some zest to their potatoes, and ditch the store-bought pasta sauces for homemade versions.

Though avocados have become notorious as the millennial superfood of choice, their versatility and ability to partner brilliantly with a number of ingredients make them an ideal ingredient for those wanting to keep experimenting in the kitchen. Read on for Parker’s glammed up avocado recipe that uses a popular Japanese citrus sauce to add some zing to your salad.

Nina Parker is a London based chef, writer and director of her own food company called NINA

VEGAN and GF
Serves 2

Ingredients

2 avocados, halved and pitted
A handful of sprouts
A handful of cashews, roughly chopped
A handful of coriander leaves

Crispy onions
(You will have extra for salads/noodles)
150ml sunflower oil
2 shallots/1 medium white onion (finely sliced)

Ponzu sauce
2 tbsp soya sauce
4 tbsp yuzu/6 tbsp ponzu
2 tbsp sesame oil
1⁄2 tbsp sesame seeds
1⁄2 tsp shichimi seasoning or chilli powder
A pinch of salt

Method

Set a saucepan on a medium to high heat and add the sunflower oil. When hot, add one piece of onion to the pan. If it sizzles, then the oil is ready and you can add the rest of the onions. Fry until they just start to turn golden. This will take about 4-5 minutes depending on the heat temperature but keep an eye on it to avoid burning. Prep some kitchen towels on a plate and carefully drain the onions from the oil. Tip the onions onto the kitchen towel to cool completely.

In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the ponzu sauce and taste to check the seasoning.

Serve with the avocado halves on a plate. Drizzle over the sauce and top with sprouts, cashews, coriander and crispy onions.