Here is a hearty salad with lots of bold flavors in it, all linked together by a dressing thickened with berry jam. The salad features ingredients that are similar in how they all have a little hit of bitter or sharp to spark the tongue, and then they contrast in textures (soft lettuces and blue cheese, crunchy almonds and lettuces, chewy raisins) all robed in a silky dressing that is sweet and tart. I like this salad for a main course, especially if there is some leftover roast or poached chicken to shred and mix in.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups roasted beets, cut into roughly 1 inch wedges or chunks 6 cups lettuce, torn or cut into 1 inch bits (If using Romaine or Little Gem, use less as it doesn’t “shrink” much when dressed) ½ – 1 cup crumbled blue cheese or feta ½ cup toasted almonds, chopped ¼ – ½ cup golden raisins Coarse grained salt and pepper to taste 1 cup, more or less, of Jammy Vinaigrette
METHOD:
In a large non-reactive bowl, toss the beets with just enough dressing to lightly coat them, then chill if they are not cold already.
When ready to serve, mix the beets with the crumbled cheese, and toss lightly to mix without mashing the cheese. Add in the almonds and raisins and toss again to mix.
In another bowl, add the lettuces and drizzle with enough dressing to coat. Toss gently to cover the leaves lightly with dressing.
Place the lettuces on a platter or in serving bowls, then scatter over the beet-cheese-almond-raisin mixture.
Season lightly with fresh ground pepper and a bit of salt (I prefer a large flake salt for salads such as Maldon or Murray River salt) and serve.
Chef’s Notes and Tips:
If you wish, you can just toss all the ingredients together into a bowl and serve as is, although dressing the beets separately is a good idea. The beets require a different amount of dressing, and what tastes good on the beets might drown the lettuces. If you have leftover chicken or a bit of ham or bacon, it would go nicely in this salad. If you have golden, chioggia, or white beets, try making the dressing with white balsamic or rice vinegar and use apricot jam instead of a berry jam.
Serves: 2 as a main course, 4 as a side salad
Source: Chef Andrew Cohen
Jammy Vinaigrette:
This dressing includes fruit jam in it, hence the name. This is a dressing that goes on hearty salads or can be used as a sauce for chicken or pork chops.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons balsamic or sherry vinegar 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 2 teaspoons berry jam (blackberry, ollialieberry, etc) A pinch of fresh minced thyme if you wish
METHOD:
Put the vinegar, salt and pepper, and herbs if you are using them, into a large non-reactive bowl. Whisk to dissolve the salt and let sit a couple minutes for flavors to meld.
Whisk in the jam to dissolve.
Whisking all the while, slowly stream in the oil until the dressing is thickened. This may not use all the oil.
Use immediately or store in the refrigerator.
Chef’s Notes and Tips:
To add depth to this dressing, especially if using as a sauce for pork or chicken, add 2 teaspoons of minced shallot to the vinegar with the salt and pepper. This dressing is excellent using apricot jam instead of the berry jam. Substitute apricot jam, and use a white balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, or champagne vinegar. You could also use half apricot and half ginger jam and use this for a sauce on roasted chicken sprinkled with a little curry powder, or make lightly curried chicken/turkey meatballs and roast these in the oven. Have the sauce for dipping, and use these as a party food.
Yield: ~ ½ cup
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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