Salad for Dinner
Page 6
them here and there. Drizzle any remaining vinaigrette on and around the
plate. Finish with several shavings of Parmigiano and serve immediately.
26 leafy salads
wild arugula salad with
salami picante and pecorino
1⁄2 clove garlic, pounded to a paste with a
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
One 4-ounce piece of stick salami,
pinch of salt
Kosher salt 1 bulb fennel, trimmed
preferably salami picante, cut into 1⁄8- to
1
1
⁄
1⁄
4-inch dice
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar or
4 large handfuls arugula, preferably wild,
freshly squeezed lemon juice; more as
about 5 ounces, washed and dried
3 ounces aged Tuscan Pecorino, cut into
needed
1⁄8- to 1⁄4-inch dice
This salad came about on a desperate effort to make a quick lunch. I had a piece of salami picante, a chunk of sheep’s milk cheese, and a handful of wild arugula left over from a dinner party. I cut the salami and cheese into tiny dice and tossed it in a bowl with the arugula, a drizzle of olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon. It was delicious— especially eaten out of the bowl and standing in the kitchen.
Here, I added a little garlic to the vinaigrette and shaved fennel to the salad—the crisp texture and flavor of fennel is nice with the salami. A handful of tender, young raw fava beans or pitted Niçoise or Picholine olives would be delicious as well.
Salami picante, a spicy, chorizo-like salami, is perfect to have on hand for salads or for a quick before-dinner snack with olives. Look for it at specialty markets. If you can’t find it, another variety of stick salami will do.
serves 4
Combine the garlic and vinegar or lemon juice in a small bowl. Let sit for
5 to 10 minutes. Whisk in the oil. Taste and add more salt or vinegar if
necessary.
Just before serving, use a mandoline to slice the fennel thinly. In a large
work bowl, combine the shaved fennel with the arugula, salami, and
cheese, and season with salt. Gently toss 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, making
a fluffy pile of greens. Sprinkle with any the salami and cheese that have
fallen to the bottom of the bowl. Serve immediately.
leafy salads 29
butter lettuce with cherry tomatoes,
corn & buttermilk vinaigrette
6 small heads butter lettuce, about
1 large egg yolk
1 pint (2 cups) ripe cherry tomatoes,
3 pounds
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
such as Sweet 100s or Sun Golds, halved
3 ears fresh corn, shucked and kernels
1⁄
1⁄
4 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf
2 cup vegetable, canola, or grapeseed oil
cut off the cob, about 3 cups
parsley
1 cup buttermilk
1 large shallot, finely diced
1⁄4 cup roughly chopped fresh chervil
3 tablespoons crème fraîche
61⁄2 tablespoons freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
lemon juice; more as needed
Freshly black ground pepper
1⁄4 cup roughly chopped fresh tarragon
Kosher salt
add substance
I like the combination of butter lettuce, buttermilk vinaigrette, and lots of fines herbes, Serve with not-so-hard-cooked eggs
but cherry tomatoes and corn make this a more satisfying summer salad. Just-cooked or sliced chicken breast or skirt steak.
tender young green beans are a nice addition as well. In lieu of fines herbes, try parsley and basil.
Look for nice round heads of butter lettuce. They should be fairly compact and relatively heavy—light, open heads have fewer crisp interior leaves.
serves 4 to 6
Pluck off any damaged outer leaves from the butter lettuce. Carefully cut
the core from each head of lettuce and gently separate the leaves. 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 the lettuce until just before serving.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the corn kernels and cook for
20 to 30 seconds (the fresher the corn, the less time it needs to cook).
Drain and set aside.
To make the vinaigrette, combine the shallot, lemon juice, and a pinch of
salt in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolk and 1⁄2 teaspoon water together in a small
bowl. Combine the olive oil and vegetable oil in a liquid measuring cup.
Begin whisking the egg yolk and slowly start adding the oil, literally a drop at a time. As the mixture begins to thicken and emulsify, gradually add
more oil in a thin, steady stream until the mixture is perfectly emulsified.
30 leafy salads
Gently whisk in the shallot mixture, buttermilk, and crème fraîche, and season with several twists of black pepper. Taste with a leaf of lettuce
and adjust the vinaigrette with more lemon juice or salt if necessary.
Refrigerate until just before serving.
Combine the corn and cherry tomatoes in a small bowl. Season with salt
and pepper and toss gently to combine. Combine the herbs in a small
bowl. Put the lettuce in a large work bowl (or, if necessary, toss the salad in two batches). Sprinkle half of the herbs on the lettuce 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. Gently spoon
the corn and cherry tomatoes on and around the salad. Drizzle any
remaining vinaigrette on and around the salad, focusing on the corn and
cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle the remaining herbs on top. Serve immediately.
leafy salads 31
chopped salad
1 clove garlic, pounded to a smooth
Six 1⁄8-inch-thick slices bacon, cut
2 not-so-hard-cooked eggs cooked for
paste with a pinch of salt
crosswise into 1⁄2-inch-thick slices
9 minutes (see p. XX), pressed through a
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 cups roasted or poached chicken,
coarse-mesh sieve (or roughly chopped)
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar;
cut into 1⁄2-inch-cubes
Freshly ground black pepper
more as needed
2 firm, ripe avocados, cut into 1⁄2-inch
1 bunch watercress, about 5 ounces,
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed
dice (see p. XX)
tough stems trimmed, separated into
lemon juice
3 medium-size, ripe, fragrant tomatoes,
small sprigs, and washed
Kosher salt
seeded and cut into 1⁄2-inch dice
1 heart of romaine, about 10 ounces,
2 ounces Roquefort, crumbled (to yield
cut into 1⁄2-inch squares and washed
1⁄2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin
1
olive oil
about 1⁄2 cup)
⁄4 cup fresh chives, cut at
an angle
crosswise into ¼-inch lengths
basic skills
Chopped salad is a classic—it’s just plain good. Use this recipe as a starting point To poach chicken, season 3 boneless,
for other chopped salads (see p. XX). Cut the romaine and watercress shortly before skinless breasts (about 11⁄4 pounds)
serving. You can also use iceberg lettuce in place of the romaine.
with a generous amount of salt and let
serves 4 to 6
sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Bring a medium skil et of lightly salted
water to a boil. Add the chicken, reduce
To make the vinaigrette, combine the garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon
the heat to maintain a gentle simmer,
juice, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk and poach the chicken until just cooked
in 1⁄2 cup of the oil. Taste with a leaf of romaine and add more salt or
through, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the
vinegar if necessary. Set aside.
breasts from the water and let cool at
Warm a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon
room temperature. Remove the skin if
oil and the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders
desired, before using.
and the bacon is crisp and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a
paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
Put the bacon, chicken, avocado, tomato, Roquefort, and eggs in a large
bowl. Season with salt and a few twists of black pepper. Drizzle about
half of the vinaigrette on top and toss very gently to combine. Add the
watercress, romaine, and chives; season again with salt and pepper, and
toss with just enough vinaigrette to dress lightly. Taste and add more salt if necessary. With a delicate hand, transfer the salad to a platter or individual serving plates. Serve immediately.
32 leafy salads
bacon, lettuce & tomato salad
Four 1⁄2-inch-thick slices bacon (cut from
1 clove garlic, pounded to a paste
tomatoes (preferably red and yellow
streaky slab bacon, about 12 ounces),
with a pinch of salt
varieties), cored and cut into 1⁄2- to-1-inch
cut crosswise into 1⁄4-inch-wide strips to
chunks
1⁄4 cup red-wine vinegar; more as needed
make lardons (see p. XX)
Kosher salt
Rustic Croutons (p. XX), made with white
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
country-style bread
2 heads iceberg lettuce, about
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 pound each
Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish
2 large egg yolks
6 medium-size, ripe, fragrant heirloom
Make this salad during the peak of summer when tomatoes are perfectly ripe. It’s worth it to use slab bacon and make lardons, which will provide the most bacon goodness (see the sidebar at left for the technique).
I like this salad with rustic croutons made with white peasant-style bread (not levain). Toasted cubes of pain di mie (or Pullman loaf) are delicious as well.
serves 4
Follow the technique in the sidebar at left to cook the lardons. Be sure to
cook them gently, which helps the bacon stay golden outside and tender
basic skills
inside. You want the lardons to be almost chewy rather than hard and
To make truly delicious bacon lardons,
crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined
use thick-cut slab bacon. You can use
plate and set aside.
presliced bacon and cut it crosswise into
To make the mayonnaise vinaigrette, combine the olive oil and vegetable
1-inch-wide strips, but these lardons won’t
oil in a liquid measuring cup. Whisk the egg yolks and 1 teaspoon water
pack nearly as much bacon-goodness as
in a small bowl and slowly start adding the oil, literally a drop or two at a traditional, thick-cut lardons. Look for slab
time, whisking constantly. As the mixture begins to thicken and emulsify,
bacon at the meat counter and ask your
gradually add more oil in a thin, steady stream until the mixture is
butcher to cut it into 1⁄4- to 1⁄2-inch-thick
perfectly emulsified. Gently whisk in the garlic and vinegar. You want
slices (and to remove the skin as wel ).
the dressing to drizzle nicely, so if it’s too thick, thin with cool water
Cut the slices of bacon crosswise into
1
(a teaspoon at a time) as necessary. Taste the vinaigrette with a piece
⁄4-inch-wide slices. For about 1⁄2 pound
of iceberg lettuce and adjust with more vinegar and a pinch of salt if
of bacon, put 1⁄4 cup water in a large
necessary. Refrigerate until just before serving.
sauté pan over medium heat and add the
bacon in a single layer. When the bacon
Remove the first few outer leaves from the lettuce. Cut each head in half,
starts to sizzle, reduce the heat to medium
and then cut each half in half again or into thirds, depending on your
low and gently cook, stirring occasional y,
preference and the number of people you are serving. Chop off the core
until the bacon is golden outside and
from each wedge. Arrange the wedges on a platter or individual serving
tender inside, 15 to 20 minutes, depend-
plates and season with salt. Season the tomatoes with salt and place them
ing on the thickness of the bacon. (If the
on and around the lettuce. Spoon some of the dressing over the salad and
bacon starts to brown too quickly, reduce
sprinkle the lardons, croutons, and parsley on top. Serve immediately and
the heat.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer
pass the remaining dressing at the table.
the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate
to drain.
34 leafy salads
garden lettuces with
green beans, figs & hazelnuts
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar; more as
Freshly ground black pepper
needed
3⁄4 pound thin green beans (haricots verts),
1⁄4 pound Cabrales cheese, or other
stem ends trimmed
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
good-quality blue cheese, crumbled
2⁄3 cup hazelnuts
8 ripe figs, such as Black Mission
1 shallot, finely diced
5 large handfuls mixed mild garden lettuces,
about 61⁄4 ounces, washed and dried
add substance
Rich and pleasantly salty blue cheese is a perfect complement to the sweetness of Thinly sliced Serrano ham or prosciutto
green beans, figs, and sherry vinaigrette. Cabrales cheese—an artisan blue cheese is particularly delicious with this salad.
from the Asturias region of northern Spain—is particularly good. If you can’t find Sliced chicken or duck breast pairs
Cabrales, Valdeon, another Spanish blue cheese, is delicious too. Try Marcona
nicely as wel .
almonds in lieu of the hazelnuts.
Be sure to use French green beans (haricots verts); larger green beans will be out of place in this delicate salad. Buy beans that are bright green and crisp—they should snap easily when you bend them.
serves 4
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Bring a large pot of wat
er to a boil and season with a generous amount
of salt; it should taste almost like seawater. Line a baking sheet with
parchment. Add the beans to the boiling water and cook until just crisp-
tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the beans, spread them on the baking
sheet, and set aside at room temperature to cool. (If you’re concerned that
the beans are slightly overcooked, put them in the refrigerator to cool.)
Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake until the skins darken
and the nuts smell toasty, about 7 minutes. Split a hazlenut in half; the
inside should be lightly golden, if not, return to the oven for a few more
minutes. While the nuts are hot, roll them up in a clean, lint-free kitchen
towel and squeeze and massage them to remove the skins. Transfer the
nuts to a bowl, leaving the skins behind. Let cool and coarsely chop. (Or
use the bottom of a ramekin and firmly tap each nut to coarsely split it in
two.) Set aside.
To make the vinaigrette, combine the shallot, vinegar, and a pinch of
36 leafy salads
salt in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk in the oil. Taste with a leaf of lettuce and adjust the vinaigrette with more vinegar or salt if necessary. Set aside.
Cut the figs in halves or quarters, depending on your preference. Set
aside.
Put the salad greens and green beans in a large work bowl 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.
Add the hazelnuts and toss once more. With a delicate hand, transfer the
salad to a platter or individual serving plates, evenly distributing the nuts
that may have fallen to the bottom of the bowl. Tuck the figs here and there
and scatter the cheese on top. Drizzle any remaining vinaigrette on and
around the salad, focusing on the figs. Serve immediately.
leafy salads 37
escarole salad with hard-cooked
egg, bacon & gruyere
Three 1⁄2-inch-thick slices bacon (about
3⁄4 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
9 ounces), cut crosswise into 1⁄4-inch-wide
1 clove garlic, pounded to a smooth paste
6 large handfuls tender hearts of escarole,
strips to make lardons (see p. xx)
with a pinch of salt
about 1 pound, washed and dried
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar; more as