' GRASS-FED BONE MARROW SALAD .'

Roasted Grass-fed marrow , green oak , dark green oak , baby tatsoi , beetroot leaves , sweet basil , olive oil leaf herb , radish , purple carrot , green shallot and Lemon vinaigrette.

                       So now that we're back in line with the seasons in regards to posts I've been meaning to put this one together with baby leaf salad in abundance, there is no better time. We always have marrow bones on hand, one because of our family jack russell and the other reason is it is such a valuable ingredient in the kitchen to have for finishing sauces making them velvety and rich. Most places serve marrow roasted and plated still in their bones, but marrow still cooked the same way but removed from the bone and accompanied by a vinaigrette pairs well. The acidity of the vinaigrette cuts through the fatty richness of the marrow therefore presents well in a baby leaf salad. Eating marrow from animals bones is very primal and dates back to our pre-human ancestors. Anthropologists believe brain and marrow were one of the first animal proteins consumed regularly, before our distant relatives learnt how to hunt they were scavengers making the most of what was left behind by more skilful predators. Often just a pile of bones with a fat dense interior of rich proteins providing a high calorie food source. This survival techniques in the present day could be considered another way of eating sustainably by using as much of the kill as we can, which makes sense. Just as grass-fed beef tastes better than grain-fed conventionally raised beasts so to the marrow within its bones, so this was my option for this dish as it was to be eaten fairly unadulterated I wanted superior flavoured marrow.              
                          My local butcher stocks the marrow bones and I have them split for me to access the marrow easier. A very simple plate to put together I simply rubbed the bones in olive oil and seasoned them wit salt and pepper before roasting in the oven. Once they were roasted I scooped the marrow from the bone and re-seasoned toping with persian blue salt and finely sliced green shallots. The greens for the salad were washed and tossed in olive oil arranged on the plate with the marrow and some thinly sliced carrot and radish. To compliment the dish I made a vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and some cracked black pepper which was drizzled on to the plate to finish.