8.5: Recipes for Salads

Caesar Salad with Parmesan Tuiles

Makes 6 to 8 servings

The salad's creation is generally attributed to restaurateur Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant who operated restaurants in Mexico and the United States. Cardini was living in San Diego but working in Tijuana where he avoided the restrictions of Prohibition. His daughter Rosa (1928–2003) recounted that her father invented the dish when a 4th of July 1924 rush depleted the kitchen's supplies. Cardini made do with what he had, adding the dramatic flair of the tableside tossing "by the chef."

A number of Mr. Cardini's staff have claimed to have invented the dish. Julia Child claimed to have eaten a Caesar Salad at Cardinin's restaurant when she was a child in the 1920s. Nonetheless, the earliest contemporary documentation of Caesar Salad is from a 1946 Los Angeles restaurant menu, twenty years after the 1924 origin asserted by the Cardinis.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 garlic clove, smashed with a pinch of salt and a little olive oil
• anchovy fillets
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup vegetable oil or more TO THICKEN
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 heads Romaine lettuce
• Croutons

To make dressing:

1. Put the garlic, anchovies, egg yolks, mustard, and lemon juice in a blender and process for 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth.
2. With the blender running, pour the oil in a steady stream to emulsify.
3. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.
4. Refrigerate if not using right away – raw egg yolks.

To make croutons:

• 2 1/2 cups cubed white bread, (3/4-inch cubes) (about half of a French bread)
• Olive oil
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place bread cubes in a medium bowl and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat. Season croutons generously with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Place croutons on a small baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until croutons are completely crisp. Cool completely.

Garnish: Parmesan Tuiles

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (3-ounces) grated Parmesan

Procedure:

1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and sprinkle the cheese, by the tablespoon, into the skillet.
2. Cook until lacy and slightly set; about 1 minute.
3. Flip and cook until crisp, about 2 minutes more.
4. Transfer to a rolling pin to allow to cool.

Classic Southern Chicken Salad Garnished with Tarragon

Makes 4 Servings

Recipe

Ingredients:

• boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3⁄4 cup finely chopped celery
• 3⁄4 cup sweet pickle relish
• hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
• 3⁄4 cup finely chopped green onions
• 3⁄4 cup mayonnaise
• Hot sauce to taste

Garnish: tarragon leaves
Party crackers or rolls to serve

Procedure:

1. Put the chicken breasts in a medium-size saucepan and add enough water to cover the breasts. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until juices run clear, about 15 minutes.
3. Remove the breasts and drain on paper towels. Set aside to cool.
4. When cool enough to handle, cut into ½-inch dice or shred.
5. Combine all ingredients except mayonnaise in a large bowl.
6. Add the mayonnaise in increments, until the chicken salad reaches the desired consistency: rich, but not too creamy.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with crackers, or on soft rolls or white toast.

Hearts of Palm Salad with Vinaigrette

Makes 2 Servings

Recipe

Ingredients:

• cups baby salad greens
• 1 can hearts of palm, drained and cut crosswise into ½-inch slices
• cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Dijon or Creole mustard
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Parmesan shavings for garnish

Procedure:

1. Arrange equal amounts of the greens on dinner plates.
2. Arrange the hearts of palm on top of the greens and garnish with the tomatoes.
3. Make the dressing by combining the olive oil, mustard, vinegar and black pepper in a small jar fitted with a lid. Shake for a few seconds to mix. Set aside for up to 2 hours before using.
4. Shake again just before drizzling the salads with the mixture.
5. Garnish with Parmesan cheese to serve.

Salade Nicoise

Makes 4 servings

Contemporary Salad Nicoise Composed Traditional Salad Nicoise

The well-known Nicoise Salad, or Salade Nicoise in French, is a delicious, refreshing and traditional salad from France in which fresh produce of the market are complemented with typical Provencal seasonings. Originating from Nice in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, this mixed salad has definitely made the Mediterranean traditional gastronomy transcend borders!

The tasty and colourful Nicoise Salad can be served on its own as a main Provencal dish, but it is also common to order it in the typical French Brasseries as a garnish for meat or fish dishes. Bringing into your plate the warmth of France’s sunny Côte d’Azur, this crudités salad usually includes tomatoes, anchovies, black olives, capers, French beans and lemon juice.

Respecting the traditional Provencal gastronomy, the seasoning is made with olive oil, basil and garlic, but it can also include parsley or mustard to get a French vinaigrette dressing.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 head butter lettuce
• pints assorted colored cherry tomatoes, depending on size - cut each in half
• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and julienned
• 2 (6 1/2-ounce) cans Albacore tuna packed in water
• hard-boiled eggs, quartered
• ½ pound blanched haricot verts
• radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup Nicoise or Mediterranean-type olives (or black or green olives - pitted)
• 6-8 anchovy filets
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives or green onions
• tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Procedure:

1. Divide each ingredient into 4 equal parts, and then arrange them on 4 salad plates. I layer then in the order listed.
2. Combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard in a small jar with a lid. Shake until blended.
3. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put the lid back on the jar and shake to blend.
4. Drizzle equal amounts of the vinaigrette over the salads and chill for 15 minutes before serving.