Salad for Dinner

by Tasha DeSerio

  hand while tossing or plating salad with the other.

  for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. They’re best eaten

  A collection of smaller, glass nesting bowls comes in

  on the day they’re cooked, but for quick salad meals,

  handy for holding prepped items.

  they’re perfectly fine made ahead of time. I make extra

  whenever I boil eggs (see p. XX for instructions).

  heaVy-bottomed pots and pans

  Heavy-bottomed pots and pans are a must for

  transferring heat evenly. I own a variety: Aluminum

  clad with stainless steel, copper, and cast iron. Cast-

  Helpful tools and equipment

  iron skillets are especially useful for searing salad-

  hands

  friendly meats and fish hot and fast.

  To dress a salad well, you need to feel it. Delicate salads

  need to be tossed ever so lightly, while more hearty

  salad spinner

  lettuces need to be almost gently massaged to encourage

  It’s possible to dry lettuces by rolling them in a lint-

  the dressing into each crease and fold. Other tools

  free towel, but I prefer a salad spinner for drying

  and implements damage delicate greens and make it

  greens. I frequently store greens in the spinner as well.

  impossible to feel the greens. Don’t hesitate to roll up

  your sleeves and get your hands in the bowl.

  colander

  An old-fashioned colander is useful for draining salad

  kniVes

  greens, cooked vegetables, and pasta.

  Good, sharp knives are indispensable. When working

  with fresh, raw salad ingredients, sharp knives make

  measuring cups and spoons

  all the difference. Invest in a sharpening steel and

  You want a set of nesting measuring cups for

  three good knives: paring, chef’s, and serrated. The

  measuring dry ingredients and a spouted measuring

  specific brand or style is up to you; it’s most important

  cup for liquids. I find the 2-cup capacity most useful.

  20 Making a Better Salad

  fine-mesh sieVe

  other equipment

  A fine mesh sieve is useful for blanching vegetables.

  Metal tongs are useful for sautéing vegetables and

  Put vegetables like corn kernels, peas, or fava beans in

  cooking and grilling meats and fish. (Don’t be tempted

  the sieve and submerge them in the water. When the

  to use them for tossing salad greens.)

  vegetables are done cooking, simply lift them out of

  A spider, a wire mesh skimmer with a handle,

  the water, still in the sieve, and transfer to an ice bath,

  comes in handy for blanching vegetables. Look for

  when appropriate.

  inexpensive, Chinese types with bamboo handles.

  When making legume salads in particular, a fine-

  baking sheets

  mesh skimmer is useful for corralling beans and

  Baking sheets are useful for spreading cooked

  removing them from their cooking liquid.

  vegetables, grains, and legumes out to cool quickly,

  Slotted spoons are useful when poaching eggs to

  so they don’t carry, or continue to cook, too much.

  remove them from the water.

  For roasting vegetables, fish, and meat, I recommend

  Box graters are essential for grating cheese. Old-

  purchasing professional-weight half-sheet pans—you’ll

  school-style graters with round holes are ideal for

  get much better results than with a standard baking

  grating Parmigiano Reggiano. Microplane graters

  sheet, which tend to be thin and don’t conduct the heat

  (wands) are ideal for finely grating citrus zest, ginger,

  nearly as well.

  and horseradish.

  A traditional zester (the wood-handled, metal

  mortar and pestle

  tool with a row of small, sharp holes) is useful when

  A heavy, 2-cup capacity mortar is ideal for salads. It’s

  you want a slightly coarser grate of citrus zest rather

  useful it for grinding spices and pounding herbs, but

  than the fine zest produced by the microplane grater.

  more than anything I use it for pounding garlic. I

  Remove citrus zest with the zester and chop it as fine

  pound the garlic and make vinaigrette, aioli, and salsa

  as you like.

  right in the mortar, so no garlic goes to waste. I have

  Beyond the obvious (peeling vegetables), vegetables

  a Japanese surbachi, an unglazed ceramic bowl with

  peelers are useful for shaving cheese to top salads.

  sharp ridges and a wooden pestle as well, but I prefer

  You want a peppermill that produces both

  the weight and feel of my granite mortar and pestle.

  finely and coarsely ground black pepper. If your mill

  doesn’t produce a coarse grind, use the bottom of a

  mandolin

  heavy pan to crush peppercorns. This produces a nice

  A mandolin is essential when you want perfectly

  coarse grind for steaks in particular.

  uniform slices or julienne. A Japanese mandolin is

  Hand-held citrus juicers are helpful for

  the mandolin you want. It’s inexpensive, lightweight,

  squeezing citrus quickly and efficiently without the

  and requires very little storage space. I use it most

  seeds. The come in small, medium, and large sizes. I

  frequently for fennel, carrots, and radishes, although

  find the medium size most useful.

  you can also use a mandolin for shaving artichokes or

  I use my food processor most often for grinding

  Brussels sprouts.

  fresh breadcrumbs, although it’s useful for making

  harissa and romesco as well.

  Whisk

  Small- and medium-size whisks are ideal for making

  vinaigrettes. (You want a whisk that fits comfortably in

  your mortar.)

  Making a Better Salad 21

  21

  c h a p t e r t w o

  leafy

  salads

  leafy greens are the quintessential staple

  in salads, and they add flavor, texture, and color. Farmers’

  markets as well as your own backyard garden will have the

  freshest greens, but most supermarkets also offer a variety of

  fresh, loose options and individual heads. Don’t make the

  mistake of buying premixed, prepackaged greens. While they

  are certainly convenient, their freshness is questionable, and

  the combination of lettuces is often a little wacky, with hearty

  chicories mixed with tender greens. Experiment. Try different

  greens and make your own mixes. In general, it’s best to pair

  tender, delicate greens with others of that type and hearty with

  hearty.

  But you can also cut hearty greens to make them more appropriate for delicate mixes. Radicchio and Belgian endive, for example, add a lovely fleck

  of color and pleasantly bitter flavor when cut into thin strips (chiffonade) and paired with greens like arugula and watercress.

  Regardless of what variety you buy and where you get it, look for the freshest, perkiest salad greens. Avoid greens that have yellow leaves, that have rusty

  colored ends, or that are limp and lifeless.

  When combining greens, keep the flavor and texture in mind—sweet and


  mild, spicy or bitter, leafy and tender, or crisp and crunchy. I grow lots of

  greens in my backyard garden, including mild leafy types, peppery arugula,

  and many kinds of chicories. At the market, I look for tender garden cresses—

  peppercress, curly cress, and ancho cress—to add into my mixes as well. For a

  simple garden lettuce salad, combine mild and peppery greens; add a handful

  of tender herbs for flavor variations. Chervil elevates any combination of

  tender greens, and parsley, basil, cilantro, tarragon, and chives make delicious herby salads.

  Washing and storing salad greens

  All greens are fragile and bruise easily, so handle them as if they were your

  grandmother’s china: very delicately.

  Inspect greens carefully when you get them home from the market and

  discard any leaves that are wilted or discolored and trim any tough stems. If

  using whole heads of lettuce, pluck off and discard a few tough or damaged

  outer leaves. Then trim the root end and gently separate the inner leaves.

  To wash salad greens, fill a large basin or bowl with cold water or fill the

  sink. Plunge the greens into the water. Spreading your fingers wide, use your

  hands to gently agitate the greens and encourage any sand or grit to fall to the bottom of the basin. If making a mix, wash the greens together, gently swishing and then lifting them slightly out of the water and letting them fall back into the basin. When the greens are free of grit, lift them out of the water and into a colander to drain. Then gently spin them dry in small batches in a salad spinner, or layer them on a clean, lint-free kitchen towel and gently roll into a log.

  Salad greens should be clean and very dry before you use them— there’s no

  saving a gritty, watery salad. Store greens in a bowl covered with a damp towel.

  They will keep for 3 to 4 days this way in the refrigerator.

  Dressing greens

  Use a large, wide bowl to dress salad greens. It should be big enough to

  comfortably toss the salad without ingredients flying out. I like to use stainless-steel bowls—they’re lightweight and easy to hold with one hand while tossing

  or plating the salad with the other—but ceramic or glass bowls also work well.

  Don’t use wooden bowls, as they can harbor old flavors. Regardless of which

  material you choose, check that the bowl is dry before you add the greens.

  Season the greens with salt—always—and a few twists of black pepper if you like.

  (If the greens are especially peppery, I sometimes go without pepper.) Salting is a critical step that is easy to overlook; all components of a salad, including the greens, should be seasoned separately before being combined.

  Your hands are the best tool for dressing salad greens—tongs or other

  tools bruise delicate greens and make it difficult to dress them evenly. Drizzle a conservative amount of vinaigrette around the edge of the bowl in a circular motion and finish with a little on the greens—this makes it easier to coat the greens evenly when you toss them. Lightly toss the greens with your fingers open and your hands slightly cupped. Or hold the bowl with one hand and toss the

  greens with the other hand—a line cook’s technique. Tender and delicate greens should be dressed with just enough vinaigrette to lightly and evenly coat them, while heartier lettuces require more dressing and often a gentle massage to coax the dressing into creases and folds. Taste the salad and add a pinch more salt, a little more vinaigrette, or maybe a few extra drops of acid—vinegar or lemon juice—if necessary. If adding fresh herbs, I often add them just before the final toss. Whenever you add a new ingredient, toss and taste again.

  To transfer the greens to a serving bowl or platter or individual plates, use

  your hands and let the greens gently fall (almost) into place.

  little gems with

  yogurt and feta vinaigrette

  8 small heads Little Gems, about 4 ounces

  3⁄4 cup Greek-style plain yogurt

  2 tablespoons roughly chopped

  each, or 2 pounds larger Little Gems

  fresh tarragon

  1⁄2 cup crumbled feta cheese

  1 clove garlic, pounded to a smooth

  Freshly ground black pepper

  3 small carrots (about 6 ounces),

  paste with a pinch of salt

  peeled and very thinly sliced

  1⁄4 cup roughly chopped fresh

  2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon

  1

  flat-leaf parsley

  ⁄2 English cucumber, peeled, trimmed,

  juice; more as needed

  halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced

  1⁄4 cup fresh chives, cut at an angle

  Kosher salt

  into

  4 radishes, such as French Breakfast,

  1⁄4-inch lengths

  3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  thinly sliced

  1⁄4 cup roughly chopped fresh chervil

  add substance

  Cool, crisp Little Gems with tangy yogurt vinaigrette make this salad a light, Serve with a few slices of grilled or

  refreshing meal. Look for Little Gems at the farmers’ market or well-stocked grocery pan-fried chicken breast, and spoon any

  stores. Like butter lettuce, the heads should be relatively heavy for their size. If you extra vinaigrette over the meat as wel .

  can’t find Little Gems, use hearts of romaine. Try different combinations of tender herbs, like mint and dill, in place of the chervil and tarragon.

  serves 4

  Pluck off any damaged outer leaves from the Little Gems and trim the

  root end, leaving the root intact. Cut each head of lettuce lengthwise into

  1-inch wedges. Wash the greens in a large basin of cool water, swishing

  the water gently to remove any dirt. Lift the lettuce from the water and

  transfer to a colander to drain. Spin-dry in small batches or layer between

  clean, lint-free kitchen towels to dry. Refrigerate until just before serving.

  To make the vinaigrette, combine the garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of

  salt in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the oil, yogurt, 1⁄4 cup of the feta, and a few twists of black pepper and whisk to combine. Taste

  with a leaf of lettuce and adjust the vinaigrette with more lemon juice or

  salt if needed. Thin with water as necessary—the dressing should drizzle

  nicely—and taste again. Refrigerate until just before serving.

  Combine the herbs in a small bowl. Put the Little Gems in a large work

  bowl (or, if necessary, toss the salad in two batches). Sprinkle the carrot,

  cucumber, radishes, and half of the herbs on top and season with salt

  and pepper. Gently toss the salad with just enough vinaigrette to lightly

  coat the greens. Taste and add more salt if necessary. With a delicate

  hand, transfer the salad to a platter or individual serving plates, evenly

  distributing any vegetables that may have fallen to the bottom of the work

  bowl. Scatter the remaining herbs and feta on top. Serve immediately and

  pass any extra vinaigrette at the table.

  leafy salads 25

  bitter greens with

  cherries and pancetta

  4 large handfuls mixed arugula and bitter

  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil;

  Kosher salt

  greens, such as hearts of escarole, frisée,

  more as needed

  Freshly ground black pepper

  Castel Franco, Treviso, and radicchio

  Six 1⁄8-inch-thick slices pancetta

  (weight will vary depending on the

  Chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano,

  combination of greens), washed
and dried

  1 shallot, finely diced

  for shaving

  3⁄

  2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; more as

  4 pound cherries, such as Bing or Van,

  washed, stemmed, pitted, and halved

  needed

  basic skills

  A variety of greens work well in this salad, but I like a pretty mixture of chicories To pit cherries, use your thumbs to

  with a handful of peppery arugula. Look for plump, sweet cherries, like Bing or Van.

  simply pry the cherry open and remove

  Rainier—yellow flesh cherries with a red blush—are another option. When cherries the pit. If you want a neater look, cut

  are out of season, use figs in their place. If the figs are a little lackluster, drizzle them around the pit with a knife in the same

  with olive oil and season them with salt and a few drops of balsamic vinegar, then manner that you cut around an apple

  roast for 15 to 20 minutes in a 400°F oven. You can also prepare the salad with core (see p. XX). You can also use a

  grilled or sautéed duck breast or duck confit in place of the pancetta (be sure to use cherry pitter to remove the pit and then

  the duck fat in the vinaigrette as well).

  cut or tear the cherries in half.

  serves 4

  Put the lettuce in a large bowl and have the cherries handy.

  Warm a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil,

  swirling the pan to lightly coat the bottom, and add the pancetta. Sauté

  the pancetta on both sides until brown and crisp, about 4 minutes.

  Transfer the pancetta to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside. Pour

  off all but 3 tablespoons of the pancetta drippings (if you don’t have quite

  3 tablespoons of fat, make up the difference with olive oil) and return

  the pan to the stovetop over medium heat. Add the shallot to the pan and

  sauté until just wilted, about 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan to

  release any brown bits clinging to the pan. Remove the pan from the heat.

  Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the vinegar, and season

  with salt. Taste with a leaf of lettuce and adjust the vinaigrette with more

  vinegar or salt if necessary.

  Add the cherries to the bowl of salad greens and season with salt and a few

  twists of black pepper. Gently toss the salad with just enough vinaigrette to

  lightly coat the greens. Taste and add more salt if necessary. With a delicate hand, transfer the salad to a platter or individual serving plates, evenly

  distributing the cherries. Tear the pancetta into rustic pieces and tuck