This salad is the most common way to cook taro root on Ikaria. It is sometimes served with a side helping of bread-based skordalia, defying most modern cooks’ sense of starch overload.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds (2 kg) taro root, peeled
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 red onion, halved and chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or dill
- 10 kalamata olives
- ½ cup Greek extra virgin olive oil, or more, as needed
- 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar (to taste)
How to Make It
- Scrub the taro roots under cold running water. Peel the roots with a paring knife or vegetable peeler. Cut off the stem end. Cut the taro roots into 2-inch (5-cm) cubes.
- Place in a pot with cold salted water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and rinse the taro pieces in a colander.
- Add the onion, celery, parsley (or dill), olives, olive oil, lemon juice (or vinegar), and salt and pepper to taste. Toss carefully. Serve either warm or at room temperature.
