This is a classic Italian salad, with a bit of an additional touch in the form of pomegranate beads.

It is probably my favourite salad. The first time I had the combination in Robert’s Bistro in Duesseldorf. Then I had other variations like bresaola rolled around rucola (rocket), pear and goat cheese, and yet there was always something missing until I got a set of black dishes. I designed the dish for the colour, but the taste did not suffer.

I made this as I waited for Sanni to drive from Duesseldorf to Berlin the day before her birthday. It was a midnight dinner as we celebrated her birthday.

Cyrus

Ingredients:

• Fresh rucola (rocket) from the market. Please do not buy the sad small version as they are only good for making Rucola-Pesto.
• Cherry tomato.
• Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Fresh pomegranate beads.
• Bresaola
• Roasted pine nuts
• Rasberry or cassis (blackcurrants) balsamic cream.
• High quality olive oil.
• pepper.

How to make it:

• Roast the pine nut in iron skillet over medium-hot (7-8) temperature. The nuts must be permanently stirred. When you smell the aroma, you know that it will be ready soon. Careful, if you over-roast the pine nuts they become bitter! When the nuts are golden-brown, then you are ready.
• With a thin and sharp knife carefully shave the parmesan. If you can manage to shave the cheese thin enough, it will curl and looks a lot nicer. Also as the thin pieces are lighter, you can put them on the rucola without causing it to collapse.
• Put the rucola in the dish. Try to create a hollow green ball.
• Carefully place the bresaola in the hollow to mostly hide it, while making sure parts of it as well as the colour are still visible.
• Depending on the size of your tomatos, cut them in two or four pieces and place them in the hollow of the salad. Make sure the colour remains visible.
• Carefully drop some of the pomegranate beads on the salad, but do not destroy the shape. You can again use the hollow.
• Pour balsamic cream and olive oil on top.
• Carefully garnish the salad with parmesan shavings.
• Grind fresh pepper over the salad to taste.
• Buon Appetito

By the way… The dinner that night was mostly cold food. Here are pictures of the cold-cut and cheese plates: