Salad for Dinner
Page 2
example, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme—“the
Simon & Garfunkel herbs”). Try this combination in
grain and legume salads.
Whenever possible, chop herbs just before you
need them, and use a sharp knife because they bruise
easily. Chop them roughly—or just fine enough to
achieve the texture you want. When chopped too
flavor and texture can brighten the simplest plate.
finely, most of their flavor and fragrance stays on the
Avoid iodized “table salt” and “plain table salt”; they
cutting board. When it’s necessary to chop herbs in
contain free-flow agents to keep them from clumping,
advance, cover them with olive oil to capture their
and their flavor doesn’t compare to kosher or sea salt.
flavor and keep them from oxidizing.
pepper
spices
Freshly ground black pepper has the best flavor. Keep
Keep a variety of spices on hand. Cumin, coriander,
a peppermill on hand and grind it into salads and
anise, fennel seed, cinnamon, paprika, cayenne, and
vinaigrettes as needed. In general, it’s best to use a fine
crushed red pepper flakes are those you’ll find yourself
grind in salads.
reaching for most. Sumac is less common, but worth
looking for. Its tart, lemony flavor is delicious on
herbs and spices
Mediterranean-inspired salads.
fresh herbs
Use spices judiciously; a little goes a long way. You
Herbs add a punch of fresh flavor to salads. Add them
want spices that are as fresh and fragrant as possible,
to salads and vinaigrettes and scatter them on finished
so buy them in small amounts in busy markets; toss
plates. You can also make fragrant herb oils to drizzle
out spices that have been on the shelf for a long time.
on finished salads. Pound the herbs in a mortar and
When using whole seeds, toast them briefly in a small
pestle and combine them with olive oil and salt; a little
pan over medium heat to enhance their flavor before
garlic is good, too.
adding them to salads and vinaigrettes.
Herbs generally fall into two categories: tender
I use crushed red pepper flakes—both sweet and
and hearty. Tender, leafy herbs include parsley, basil,
spicy varieties—more than any other spice. My Dad
chives, chervil, tarragon, cilantro, dill, and mint.
and a family friend grow lots of red chiles, so I’m
Hearty herbs are sage, rosemary, savory, thyme,
fortunate to get freshly dried and coarsely ground
marjoram, oregano, and bay.
red chile every year. Look for small, fresh red chiles
Parsley pairs well with everything. Be sure to
at your farmer’s market, and dry and grind your own
use flat-leaf (also known as Italian), which is more
chile flakes.
Making a Better Salad 77
For salads, I especially love the look and flavor
eggplant. And they’re particularly delicious in salads
of sweet and mild dried red chiles. Look for Allepo
with eggs and fish.
pepper, marash pepper, and crushed Nora pepper in
Capers: Salt-packed capers have more flavor than
specialty markets and on-line. For a little more heat,
brined capers. Riinse off the salt (or brine) and
try Piment d’Espelette, from the village of Espelette in
soak them in cool water for 10 minutes or so before
Spain’s Basque region. Its flavor is more fruity and less
using. Drain and pat them dry, then chop coarsely
hot than cayenne. When using standard store-bought
and add them to vinaigrettes before adding the oil.
red pepper flakes, I chop them up to distribute they’re
Capers are salty, so you may not need to add as much
heat more evenly and improve their texture.
salt to the vinaigrette.
Olives: Olives are delicious chopped and stirred
other key ingredients
into vinaigrettes. I use whole, unpitted olives. Avoid
anchovies
marinated olives—the seasonings often taste a little
The complex salty flavor of anchovies enhances other
tired and they may clash with the flavors in your
flavors in a unique way. Chop or mash them and add to
vinaigrette or salad. Some of my favorite varieties
a vinaigrette or cut them into thin slivers to garnish a
include green Picholines and Lucques and black
finished salad.
Niçoise and Kalamata. I also love the chewy texture
I buy cans of whole anchovies packed in salt.
of oil-cured black Nyon olives and the fresh, fruity
Their flavor is less fishy and they have better texture
flavor of plump Sicilian Castelvetrano olives. Shop
than fillets packed in oil. Salt-packed anchovies last
for olives at specialty markets where you can taste
for months after opening. Simply cover with a good
before you buy, and keep a few of your favorites on
layer of salt, wrap or bag the can in plastic, and store
hand.
in the refrigerator (re-cover the anchovies with salt
after each use).
To use whole anchovies, rinse well under cool
running water. Using your fingers, rub the fish gently
to remove any scales, and pluck off the tail and fins.
If the anchovies are firm, soak them in cold water for
about 5 minutes until they are pliable, then gently
pull the two fillets off the bones and rinse them clean.
Pat the fillets dry between a lint-free kitchen towel
or paper towels before using. If using oil-packed
anchovies, rinse the fillets under warm water and
pat dry as well. Use cleaned anchovies immediately,
or cover them with a little olive oil and store in the
refrigerator for up to a week.
olives and capers
Both olives and capers add a rich, salty flavor to
vinaigrettes and salads. They work well in combination
with other common Mediterranean ingredients:
Garlic, onions, tomatoes, olives, peppers, and
8 Making a Better Salad
Before using olives, rinse and drain them well,
such as pungent blue cheese with crisp, tart apples.
then taste. If they’re still a little too briny, soak them
Experiment and find what you like.
in warm water for about 5 minutes to pull out more
Cheese generally tastes best at room temperature.
brine. To remove the pits, smash each one gently with
Grated or shaved cheese typically comes to
the bottom of ramekin or sandwich between a kitchen
temperature by time it reaches the table. When
towel and give it a firm tap with a meat pounder or
serving a larger portion, be sure to let it come to
the bottom of a small heavy pot. Push the pit out with
room temperature before serving.
your fingers.
nuts
cheese
Nuts are a great way to make a simple salad more
Cheese adds a range of complex flavors and textures
satisfying, so keep a variety on hand. Avoid packaged
to
salads. Hard cheeses like Parmesan and pecorino
nuts if you can; those sold in bulk at busy markets are
are perfect for grating or shaving on top of salads,
generally fresher and taste much better, particularly
and semi-hard cheeses, such as Gruyère, Comté, and
in the fall, just after the harvest. Walnuts labeled “new
Gouda, can be shaved as well or cut into small dice
crop” are especially delicious at that time.
and tossed in salads. Fresh cheeses, like goat cheese
Store nuts in a cool, dark spot or in the
or whole-milk ricotta, are delicious warm or cold in
refrigerator or freezer. Nuts stored at room
salads or served on a crouton on the side, drizzled with
temperature or exposed to direct light go bitter and
olive oil, and sprinkled with salt. Other fresh cheeses,
rancid much quicker. Sniff questionable nuts before
like mozzarella and burrata, are a key ingredient on
you use them, and when in doubt taste. You’ll know if
some salad plates, like the classic Caprese salad with
they’re rancid.
tomato, fresh mozzarella, and basil. Salty barrel-aged
Toasting nuts: Toast nuts just before you need
feta and strongly flavored blue cheeses are perfect for
them; their flavor and texture is best shortly after
crumbling on top.
they’re heated. Spread them out on a baking sheet and
Buy cheeses in chunks and grate or crumble at the
toast them in a warm oven, no hotter than 350°F,
last minute whenever possible—the flavor of freshly
for 5 to 7 minute, but check them frequently. They
grated cheese is much better than pregrated cheeses,
should smell toasty when they’re done, but always taste
and dry, precrumbled cheese tastes nothing like a
one or two to be certain. Their texture is often soft
creamy chunk of good-quality cheese. I keep a chunk
or chewy when warm, but they’ll become crisp as they
of aged Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano on hand, which
cool. Almonds and hazelnuts should be lightly golden
has a sweet, nutty flavor and crystalline texture. Grate
inside, and pine nuts should be evenly golden on the
Parmigiano on the smallest holes on a box grater (the
outside. Nuts will continue to cook a bit after you pull
round holes work best). Microplane graters tend to
them from the oven.
grate the cheese a little too finely, and you loose the
Walnut skins often become flaky and bitter
delicious crystal bits in the Parmigiano. When shaving
when toasted. To remove the skins, transfer them to
cheese, a simple vegetable peeler works best.
a clean, lint-free towel when they come out of the
There is no steadfast rule to pairing cheese with
oven. While they’re hot, roll the nuts in the towel
salad. Some combinations work well because the
and gently massage them to remove the skins, and
flavor and texture of the ingredients contrast one
simultaneously break them into slightly smaller, bite-
another, like tangy goat cheese and sweet figs or beets;
size pieces. Transfer the nuts to a bowl, leaving the
other combinations work because of their similarity,
skins behind. For a truly delicious toasted walnut,
Making a Better Salad 99
immediately toss the warm nuts with a little olive oil
and salt.
Hazelnuts can be a bit tricky to toast. Under-
toasted, they’re often unpleasantly soft and chewy in
the center; over-toasted are just that. You’ll know
it when you get them just right. Once they cool,
hazelnuts easily split into 2 or 3 pieces when you
give them a firm tap with the bottom of a ramekin.
I prefer this technique to a knife for “chopping”
hazelnuts, and I like how they look.
Like walnuts, hazelnuts taste better when you rub
off their skins after toasting. Follow the method above
and roll them in a towel while they are warm. (Don’t
toss hazelnuts with oil; it ruins they’re texture.)
Nuts can also be fried in olive oil on the stovetop.
Warm a sauté pan over medium heat and coat the
bottom of the pan with a slick of olive oil. Add the
nuts and toss or stir frequently until they’re toasted.
Use good-quality bread—a chewy country-style
seeds
bread or a mixed-grain levain works best for rustic,
Pumpking, sunflower, and sesame seeds add flavor and
hearty croutons, crostini, or toasts. Use baguettes
texture to. To bring out their nutty flavor, toast seeds
when you want small rounds or long, dramatic ovals.
just before you need them. Use the oven method as for
To make delicate, buttery croutons cut in perfect
nuts (see p. XX) or on the stovetop in a dry pan over
shapes look for Pain di Mie (sometimes called Pullman
medium heat. Be sure to swirl the pan over the flame,
loaf) or a similar loaf of good-quality, white,
and toss or stir frequently. With either method, keep
sandwich-type bread made with milk and butter.
in mind that seeds are small and will toast quickly.
Plain focaccia is another option. When catering, I
You can also fry pumpkin and sunflower seeds.
regularly cut focaccia into small rectangles, toast them
(Dry-toasting methods work better for sesame seeds.)
in batches, and serve them warm out of the oven with
I Iike to fry pumpkin seeds in a little oil, and then
a variety of toppings. The bread itself is salty and oily,
sprinkle with salt and spices like toasted cumin and
so it’s not necessary to add any additional oil or salt
Allepo pepper. Warm a sauté pan over medium heat
before toasting.
and coat the bottom of the pan with a thin slick of
For tossed leafy salads, I like rustic, torn croutons
olive (or flavorless) oil. Add the seeds and toss or
made from a country-style loaf—perfect cubes have
stir frequently until toasted. Finish with a generous
a tendency to look like they came out of a package.
sprinkle of salt and a pinch of spice if you like.
Chapons, croutons made from the crust of country-
style loaves, toasted and rubbed with garlic, are
bread
delicious with simple garden lettuce salads. Perfectly
Tossed in a salad or served on the side, croutons, toasts,
shaped rectangle or triangle croutons made from Pain
or crostini often provide the perfect contrast of texture.
di Mie are appropriate on the side of a delicate salads.
10 Making a Better Salad
Variations
When serving croutons on the side, use baguettes
• To make square croutons: Cut the croutons rather than
or country-style loaves. For chewier croutons, slice
tear them.
the bread a little thicker. I often toast (or grill) the
• To make batons (perfect for dipping into a poached
bread first, then rub it lightly with garlic and drizzle
egg): Cut the bread into strips, toss, season with salt,
a thin stream
of fruity olive oil on top. You can also
and toast until lightly golden, about 10 minutes.
•
brush the bread with olive oil or butter before you
To make pancetta-wrapped croutons: Cut the bread into
strips and wrap each spirally with a 5-inch length of
toast it. This way, the croutons almost fry in the
thinly sliced pancetta. Toast until the pancetta is golden
butter or oil, and you get a rich, golden crouton.
and crisp, about 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Day old bread is best for croutons—it has better
• To make fried croutons: Heat a large sauté pan over
texture for cutting or tearing and toasting, and it
medium heat. Coat the pan with a generous slick of olive
often has better flavor. I don’t let any bread go to
oil. Add a single layer of croutons, any shape or size,
season with salt, and fry, stirring and swirling the pan
waste—I make croutons or breadcrumbs with the
from time to time, until golden and crisp.
interior of the loaf and save the crust for chapons.
Croutons are always best freshly toasted. To get
ahead, cut or tear the bread in advance and cover it
with a towel or plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
g a r l i c c h a p o n s
Toasted fresh breadcrumbs, somewhere between a
makes enough for 6 salads
fine breadcrumb and a crouton, also have their place
About 3⁄4 -pound chunk of country style bread or
levain, preferably day-old
on the salad plate from time to time. I love them on
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
hearty greens, like chicories, and legumes or strewn
Salt
on top of a fried egg with a simple garden lettuce
1 clove garlic
salad. Be sure to make them with day-old bread.
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Using a serrated knife, carve the crust off of
the bread into rustic, curved slabs about 1⁄4
r u s t i c c r o u t o n s
inch thick. Reserve the interior of the bread
for another use. Brush the crusts on both sides
makes enough for 6 salads
with olive oil and season lightly with salt. Spread
About 1⁄2-pound chunk of country-style bread or
levain, preferably day-old
out the crusts to an even layer on a baking sheet
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
and bake until crisp and golden brown on the
edges and lightly golden in the center, about 7
Salt
minutes.