Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (21 page)
SERVES 6
Prepare the salad components while the cheese is in the freezer, then toss the greens and vinaigrette while the cheese cools a bit after baking. Hearty salad greens, such as a mix of arugula and frisée, work best here.
1 | cup dried cherries |
2 | tablespoons cider vinegar |
1 | tablespoon Dijon mustard |
1 | teaspoon minced shallot |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
¹⁄ | teaspoon sugar |
6 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
Pepper | |
14 | ounces (14 cups) mixed hearty salad greens |
2 | Granny Smith apples, cored, quartered, and cut into ¹⁄ |
¹⁄ | cup walnuts, toasted and chopped |
1 | recipe |
1.
Plump cherries in ¹⁄
2
cup hot water in small bowl, about 10 minutes; drain.
2.
Combine vinegar, mustard, shallot, salt, and sugar in small bowl. Whisking constantly, drizzle in oil; season with pepper to taste. Place greens in large bowl, drizzle vinaigrette over, and toss to coat. Divide greens among individual plates; divide cherries, apples, and walnuts among plates; and place 2 rounds goat cheese on each salad. Serve immediately.
SERVES 6
Prepare the salad components while the cheese is in the freezer, then toss the greens and vinaigrette while the cheese cools a bit after baking. Hearty salad greens, such as a mix of arugula and frisée, work best here.
2 | tablespoons balsamic vinegar |
1 | tablespoon Dijon mustard |
1 | teaspoon minced shallot |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
6 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
Pepper | |
14 | ounces (14 cups) mixed hearty salad greens |
1¹⁄ | cups red seedless grapes, halved |
¹⁄ | cup pine nuts, toasted |
6 | ounces thinly sliced prosciutto |
1 | recipe |
Combine vinegar, mustard, shallot, and salt in small bowl. Whisking constantly, drizzle in oil; season with pepper to taste. Place greens in large bowl, drizzle vinaigrette over, and toss to coat. Divide greens among individual plates; divide grapes and pine nuts among plates; and arrange 2 slices prosciutto and 2 rounds goat cheese on each salad. Serve immediately.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
With such smooth and flat leaves, baby spinach tends to stick together in salad. We knew that we needed a sturdier element to break up the leaves, but we wanted one that wouldn’t overwhelm the spinach. The first step was rethinking our knife work. Thinly slicing the vegetables (or at least tearing them into pieces) allowed us to use harder, more crisp produce, such as carrots. In addition to fluffing up the spinach, carrots worked in welcome crunch and sweetness. We also reasoned that fresh fruit would add bright, clean flavors and textural appeal. For the dressing, we altered the oil-to-acid ratio of our
FOOLPROOF VINAIGRETTE
until it was tangy enough to bring out the fruit’s natural acidity.
SERVES 6
6 | ounces (6 cups) baby spinach |
2 | carrots, peeled and shaved with vegetable peeler lengthwise into ribbons |
2 | oranges, ¹⁄ |
2 | scallions, sliced thin |
7 | teaspoons rice vinegar |
1 | small shallot, minced |
1 | teaspoon Dijon mustard |
³⁄ | teaspoon mayonnaise |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
3 | tablespoons vegetable oil |
1¹⁄ | tablespoons toasted sesame oil |
1 | tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted |
1.
Place spinach, carrots, orange segments, and scallions in large bowl.
2.
Combine orange zest, vinegar, shallot, mustard, mayonnaise, and salt in small bowl. Whisk until mixture appears milky and no lumps remain. Place vegetable oil and sesame oil in liquid measuring cup. Whisking constantly, very slowly drizzle oils into mixture. If pools of oil gather on surface, stop addition of oils and whisk mixture well to combine, then resume whisking in oils in slow stream. Vinaigrette should be glossy and lightly thickened.
3.
Pour dressing over spinach mixture and toss to coat; sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.
SERVES 6
Fuji apples are also good in place of Golden Delicious in this salad.
6 | ounces (6 cups) baby spinach |
1 | fennel bulb, fronds minced and ¹⁄ |
2 | Golden Delicious apples, cored and cut into 1-inch-long matchsticks |
1¹⁄ | teaspoons finely grated lemon zest plus 7 teaspoons juice |
1 | small shallot, minced |
1 | tablespoon whole grain mustard |
³⁄ | teaspoon mayonnaise |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
4¹⁄ | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
1.
Place spinach, fennel, fennel fronds, and apples in large bowl.
2.
Combine lemon zest and juice, shallot, mustard, mayonnaise, and salt in small bowl. Whisk until mixture appears milky and no lumps remain. Place oil in liquid measuring cup. Whisking constantly, very slowly drizzle oil into mixture. If pools of oil gather on surface, stop addition of oil and whisk mixture well to combine, then resume whisking in oil in slow stream. Vinaigrette should be glossy and lightly thickened.
3.
Pour dressing over spinach mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
SERVES 6
This salad is best when made with in-season strawberries.
6 | ounces (6 cups) baby spinach |
1 | head frisée (6 ounces) torn into 2-inch pieces |
10 | ounces strawberries, hulled and quartered (2 cups) |
2 | tablespoons chopped fresh basil |
7 | teaspoons balsamic vinegar |
1 | small shallot, minced |
1 | teaspoon Dijon mustard |
³⁄ | teaspoon mayonnaise |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
4¹⁄ | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
1.
Place spinach, frisée, strawberries, and basil in large bowl.
2.
Combine vinegar, shallot, mustard, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Whisk until mixture appears milky and no lumps remain. Place oil in liquid measuring cup. Whisking constantly, very slowly drizzle oil into mixture. If pools of oil gather on surface, stop addition of oil and whisk mixture well to combine, then resume whisking in oil in slow stream. Vinaigrette should be glossy and lightly thickened.
3.
Pour dressing over spinach mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
SERVES 6
This salad is especially good paired with grilled foods.
6 | ounces (6 cups) baby spinach |
1 | small head radicchio (6 ounces), halved, cored, and sliced very thin |
1 | mango, peeled and cut into ¹⁄ |
¹⁄ | cup chopped fresh cilantro |
1 | teaspoon finely grated lime zest plus 7 teaspoons juice |
1 | tablespoon honey |
1 | small shallot, minced |
1 | teaspoon Dijon mustard |
³⁄ | teaspoon mayonnaise |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
4¹⁄ | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
1.
Place spinach, radicchio, mango, and cilantro in large bowl.
2.
Combine lime zest and juice, honey, shallot, mustard, mayonnaise, and salt in small bowl. Whisk until mixture appears milky and no lumps remain. Place oil in liquid measuring cup so it is easy to pour. Whisking constantly, very slowly drizzle oil into mixture. If pools of oil gather on surface, stop addition of oil and whisk mixture well to combine, then resume whisking in oil in slow stream. Vinaigrette should be glossy and lightly thickened.
3.
Pour dressing over spinach mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
STORING LEFTOVER SPINACH
We call for specific sizes of bags or packages of baby spinach when it works for a recipe, but sometimes you might not find that particular size. If you have leftover spinach, make sure to store it in its original bag and fold the opened end over and tape it shut. These specially designed breathable bags keep the spinach fresh as long as possible; if you transfer the spinach to a sealed airtight bag, it will spoil prematurely.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
For a wilted spinach salad with bright flavors and a tender texture, we started with baby spinach. Thickly cut bacon added presence to our salad, and hard-cooked eggs, cut into wedges, formed a natural partnership with the bacon and added a hearty element. Dressing made with bacon drippings had a rich flavor, and a combination of 3 tablespoons each of bacon fat and vinegar was perfect. The warm dressing is often used to wilt the spinach, but a heavy hand can lead to a swampy salad. We were able to cut back on the dressing by adding sautéed onions to the salad—they not only added another layer of sweet/savory flavor but also enough volume and heat to wilt the spinach without ruining its texture.
