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Message |
    
NFK
Citizen
Username: Nfk
Post Number: 82
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 7:36 pm: | 
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I have always wanted to ask this: I just LOVE LOVE LOVE salads when I go out to most restaurants. Seems like the romaine lettuce in the caesar salad's is just perfect - cold and crisp. Maybe it's im my head but I never seem to be able to make it the same way. What's the secret to good romaine salad's?
thanks! |
snowmom
Citizen
Username: Snowmom
Post Number: 359
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 8:29 pm: |
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chill the plates in the 'fridge before serving the salad. |
Duncan
Supporter
Username: Duncanrogers
Post Number: 5928
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 8:40 pm: |
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when you get home from the grocer, rinse/clean your romain lettuce. Then unroll a generous amount of paper towel. Lay the clean slightly damp leaves in the papertowel and roll them up. NOT TIGHTLY. Then take the rolled lettuce and put it into a paper lunch kind of bag and refrigerate. When you are assembling your salad, a caesar for instance, whisk the dressing in the bowl you plan to serve from, coat the sides about half way up with dressing and then put in the lettuce at the last minute. Top with croutons and parmesan cheese and serve on a chilled plate atop a charger. |
Trent_Daddy
Citizen
Username: Tcedwards
Post Number: 183
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 8:43 pm: |
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Another secret:
Generally…lettuce stored in the frig loses moisture. You can replenish some of that moisture by simply soaking the lettuce in cold water for a period (also worked with celery).
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Trent_Daddy
Citizen
Username: Tcedwards
Post Number: 184
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 8:47 pm: |
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Duncan,
I don't rinse/clean my lettuce until I am ready to use (eat) it. The lettuce degrades faster when rinsed with tap water. I assume it has to do with unfiltered water (the bact&%# something word).
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extuscan
Citizen
Username: Extuscan
Post Number: 625
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 11:25 pm: |
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I worked in the produce department at a supermarket all through high school and college. While many stores will simply take the lettuce out of the box and throw it on the shelf, at a really good produce department the lettuce is "crisped". Its simple really, we would fill a big sink with slightly warm water, butt the ends of the romaine, put a rubber band around it, and throw it in the sink. Then, we would do up a second sink of lettuce, and then drain the first one... so the soak time was probably ten minutes. Then we'd put the lettuce on a crisping rack and leave it in the cooler overnight. The next morning even really crappy lettuce would look wonderful! The key of course is to "butt the end" (cut it off!) before soaking the lettuce. You will see some white stuff ooze out of the end. That is truly the most bitter substance I have ever tasted. It is almost sappy in how it sticks to your skin, and lingers on your toungue when you are convinced that you should taste it. Everyone should have a little taste of that once in thier lives.
-John |
doulamomma
Citizen
Username: Doulamomma
Post Number: 1218
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Monday, March 13, 2006 - 9:12 am: |
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Interesting - almost like recutting the ends of flowers or a Christmas tree & putting in warm water...
You can also just buy the romaine hearts |
Shanabana
Citizen
Username: Shanabana
Post Number: 254
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, March 13, 2006 - 6:39 pm: |
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This is fascinating! |
Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 626
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Monday, March 13, 2006 - 8:08 pm: |
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Duncan, I bet you have a great recipe for Ceasar dressing - care to share? |
IShep
Citizen
Username: Twinsmom
Post Number: 147
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, March 13, 2006 - 8:47 pm: |
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I did this today (obviously not overnight, but I left the lettuce to "crisp" for about 4 hours) and it worked great...thanks for the tip! Then again, my lettuce didn't start out in such bad shape...but it was much more CRISP at salad-serving time. |
extuscan
Citizen
Username: Extuscan
Post Number: 626
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Monday, March 13, 2006 - 8:51 pm: |
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But did you taste that sap?
-John |
davidbuckley
Citizen
Username: Davidbuckley
Post Number: 488
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, March 13, 2006 - 11:16 pm: |
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For serious crisping, ice water helps. Crisping does REALLY help salads.
Did someone say Caesar dressing?
In amounts you find appropriate for your taste mix:
GOOD olive oil
Lemon juice
Red wine vinegar
Anchovies, mash w/ fork (or anchovy paste)
Black pepper
Worcestershire sauce
To me, it's REALLY hard to put too much anchovy but REALLY easy to put too much Worcestershire. Like, for a big salad for 6 adults, I'd use close to or even a can of small fish and no more than a tablespoon of Worcestershire. Yeah, we LOVE anchovies.
I and my wife like it chunkyish so I don't blend or over-emulsify but you could. I might try a little wand mixer just to check out creamierness...(!)
Some cool variations are substituting Meyer lemon juice, adding a bit of dijon mustard or (really yummy) creme fraiche or (less indulgent but also yummy) a bit of plain yogurt.
Let us know what you try.
Enjoy and be well, all.
David
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gemini
Citizen
Username: Gemini
Post Number: 425
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 12:16 am: |
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duncan are you married? ha |
Dogbert
Citizen
Username: Dogbert
Post Number: 32
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 6:58 am: |
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deep-fry it |
BGS
Citizen
Username: Bgs
Post Number: 742
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 8:34 am: |
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IShep-which method did you use??? There are more than one suggestion above...Thanks!
BGS |
IShep
Citizen
Username: Twinsmom
Post Number: 148
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 9:04 am: |
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BGS--I used the extuscan approach...but like I said, I only chilled it for about 4 hours in the fridge.
and davidbuckley--I'm a Caesar lover--but I mash up a garlic clove with the anchovy first in a wooden salad bowl, then add the other ingredients in addition to a tablespoon of dry mustard and the coddled egg (I know, I know) and then I top it off with a bit of parmiggiano-reggiano shavings. Mmmmmm...
I've also found that if I use regular olive oil (that is, not extra virgin), it works best. Otherwise, the flavorful ex-virgin olive oil overpowers the dressing.
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davidbuckley
Citizen
Username: Davidbuckley
Post Number: 490
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2006 - 10:21 am: |
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IShep:
I am deeply embarrassed and chagrined. Well, maybe shallowly embarrassed and chagrined.
HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN THE GARLIC??
Caesar without garlic??
Please add to my above ingredients BOATLOADS (at least 6-8 cloves) of garlic. I like it hand chopped but you can use a press.
To pay back my garlic karma:
Try: www.garlicgold.com
I find the nuggets (which are dry bits as opposed to the namesake product, bits in olive oil) absolutely vital to my kitchen happiness. They are great on eggs, in salads, anywhere crunchy yummy pieces of organic garlic would be good.
Just ordered 6 shakers of 'em.
Be well and reek well, all.
David |
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