Fire Roasted Freekah Adds Flavor to Salads

 

The harvesting of this spring wheat is fascinating. The wheat is picked green and set on fire where only the straw and chaff burn. The grain is threshed and dried, then cracked similar to bulgur but with a distinctive smoky flavor. Here’s how I cooked it to maintain that savory flavor.

Freekeh

(1/2 cup)

Soak 1/4 cup freekah in tap water 10-15 minutes. Drain.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil on stovetop. Add grain. Sauté in oil 1 minute. Add 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add 1/4 cup boiling water. Lower heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on the pan in case you need to add more boiling water.)

Because I wanted to maintain the distinctive flavor of the grain, I placed the dressing in the bottom of the salad, added layers of fresh produce, grain, then finished with lettuce. To eat, I turned the salad onto a plate.

The dressing per 1 salad has 2 teaspoon pomegranate molasses and 2 teaspoon lemon juice. Drizzle olive oil as desired.