Make ahead: Store, covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Save time: Use 2 2/3 cups cooked triticale berries and omit soaking and cooking the raw grains.
Chef It Up!
• Rather than using frozen artichoke hearts, poach well-trimmed, very tiny baby artichokes in a white wine and broth mixture until tender, then slice them into quarters.
Grain Swaps
• Substitute 1 cup rye berries for the triticale berries. They'll need to simmer about 1 hour 15 minutes to get tender.
Testers' Note
• Triticale berries have a somewhat pungent, forceful taste—and thus the smoked trout is here as a good balance. Look for it near the smoked salmon in most well-stocked markets. Of course, you could flake smoked salmon into the salad as well, although its texture will be a little softer, not quite as good a contrast to the artichoke hearts.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour, plus soaking the triticale for at least 8 hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
1. Soak the triticale berries in a big bowl of cool water for at least 8 and up to 16 hours. Drain the berries in a fine-mesh sieve or small-holed colander set in the sink, then pour them into a large saucepan. Cover with more water, until they're submerged by several inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain once again in that sieve or colander; rinse with cool tap water until the grains are at room temperature. Shake the colander to drain the berries.
Step 2
2. Place the lemon juice, tahini, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a mini food processor or blender. Turn it on, then drizzle in the oil in dribs and drabs to make a rich dressing. You can also make this dressing in a small bowl with a whisk, but you'll need to give your forearm a workout. Whisk the first ingredients together, then whisk in the oil in a very small, steady stream.
Step 3
3. Pour the cooked triticale into a large bowl. Pour and scrape the salad dressing into the bowl as well. Add the artichoke hearts and smoked trout. Stir gently to avoid breaking the trout into minuscule threads but nonetheless make sure everything's well combined.
