Charred gai larn and farro with soy tahini

I adore the perfectly balanced layers of this salad – the chewy farro brings so much heart, while the soy-infused tahini is divinely nutty and intensely savoury, an exceptional foil to gai larn's natural bitterness.

Charred gai larn and farro with soy tahini Credit: Kitti Gould

• serves

  4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Gai larn is one of the most robust Asian greens, with a solid stem and strong leaves that are evocative of broccoli or kale, with slightly more bitterness. It has less water content than other Asian greens, so is well suited to more rugged cooking methods. Chargrilling gai larn in a pan or on the barbecue is a wonderful way to build flavours – it's expected that it will become smoky, but it's the sweetness that disarms and charms.

Ingredients

• 250 g (1¼ cups) farro
• 2 bunches gai larn (about 400 g), washed and patted dry, stems trimmed
• extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt and black pepper
• ½ cup coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (black, white or both)

Soy tahini

• 60 g (¼ cup) tahini
• 3 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp chilli oil
• 1 garlic clove, grated

Instructions

1. Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the farro, reduce the heat to medium, then cover and cook for 20–30 minutes, until the farro is tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Slice each gai larn stalk in half lengthways. Heat a large frying pan over medium–high heat (or heat a barbecue flat plate on high).
3. Working in batches, drizzle oil into the pan (or brush the barbecue surface) and add the gai larn in a single layer. Char on each side for 1–2 minutes, until there are crispy, golden bits. Immediately remove from the heat and slide the greens onto a plate. Season with sea salt and black pepper, then repeat with the remaining gai larn.
4. To make the soy tahini, whisk the tahini, soy sauce, chilli oil and garlic in a bowl until combined. Add 2–3 tablespoons of water until you have a smooth, pourable dressing.
5. To serve, spoon the farro onto a platter or into a bowl and top with the gai larn. Drizzle with the soy tahini and season with sea salt and black pepper. Top with the coriander leaves and sesame seeds and serve.

 

Images and recipes from Tenderheart by Hetty Lui McKinnon, published by Plum, (RRP $59.99). Photography by Hetty Lui McKinnon.

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Express Lane

Watch The Full Episode Here

G

Watch The Full Episode Here

G

Gai larn is one of the most robust Asian greens, with a solid stem and strong leaves that are evocative of broccoli or kale, with slightly more bitterness. It has less water content than other Asian greens, so is well suited to more rugged cooking methods. Chargrilling gai larn in a pan or on the barbecue is a wonderful way to build flavours – it's expected that it will become smoky, but it's the sweetness that disarms and charms.