Spanish cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Xató (Endive Salad)

Catalan winter salad of endive, salt cod and tuna in a thick almond-ñora sauce.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 2 heads endive
• 150 g desalted salt cod
• 150 g tuna (canned)
• 8 anchovy fillets
• 80 g black olives
• 3 dried ñora peppers
• 80 g almonds
• 40 g hazelnuts
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 120 ml olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Drain the salt cod – if not yet desalted, soak overnight in cold water; deseed the ñora peppers, soak in hot water for 30 min and scrape off the flesh with a spoon.
2. Toast the almonds and hazelnuts in a dry pan for 5 min until fragrant, then grind finely with the garlic in a mortar or blender.
3. Mix in the ñora pulp, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper, then work in the olive oil in a thin stream until a thick, brick-red sauce forms.
4. Tear the endive into bite-sized pieces, wash and spin very thoroughly dry – the sauce won't cling to wet leaves.
5. Shred the salt cod into fine strips, drain the tuna and fold both into the salad with the olives.
6. Generously dress the salad with the xató sauce, lay the anchovy fillets on top and serve at once.