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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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Rather than making herbs part of a green salad, why not make these fresh, flavorful greens the salad. The idea comes from Paris chef Alain Passard, who years ago served me an all-tarragon salad at his Left Bank restaurant, Arpège. When tarragon is fresh in the market or your garden overflows with this extraordinarily powerful herb, why not serve it with honor as a salad on its own? Years later Passard expanded what I call the tarragon tangle to a full-scale mixed herb saladjust a few well-dressed bites on a small salad plateas an accompaniment. The idea really is to mix and match judiciously. Just don't use so many herbs that they lose their personality. Good combinations include parsley, mint, and tarragon. Or consider an all-mint salad to accompany grilled lamb, an all-tarragon salad to accompany grilled chicken, a sage-heavy salad to accompany roast pork. Other herbs that can be added to the following salad mix include a very judicious addition of hyssop, sage, chervil, and marjoram. Just be sure to include leaves onlyno cheatingleaving all stems behind! Ingredients:
1 teaspoon best-quality sherry wine vinegar |
1 teaspoon best-quality red wine vinegar |
fine sea salt to taste |
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil |
freshly ground black pepper to taste |
2 ounces (60 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, carefully stemmed, rinsed, and dried |
2 ounces (60 g) fresh chives, rinsed, dried, and minced |
2 ounces (60 g) fresh dill leaves, carefully stemmed, rinsed, dried, and chopped |
2 ounces (60 g) fresh tarragon leaves, carefully stemmed, rinsed, dried, and leaves separated |
2 ounces (60 g) fresh mint, stemmed, rinsed, dried, and leaves separated |
Directions:
1. In a large, shallow salad bowl, whisk together the vinegars and salt. Whisk in the oil and pepper. Taste for seasoning. Add all the herb leaves and toss to evenly coat the greens with the dressing. Taste for seasoning. Serve in small portions as an accompaniment to roast chicken or grilled or poached fish. 2. Variation: The dressed salad can also be placedopen-face-sandwich fashionon top of grilled bread that has brushed with olive oil. |
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