This salad is a contrast of textures and flavor elements. Soft butter lettuce and crunchy radish. Bright clean flavors of radish and lettuce against the smoky charred notes of earthy funk laden scallions. This is nice with a big slab of well toasted country rye bread with plenty of really good butter on it flecked with large crystal salt such as Murray River or Sel de Guerande.
INGREDIENTS:
1 head/6 cups red or green butter lettuce, torn into bite-sized bits, washed and dried
1 bunch of red radishes, slice very thinly with a fixed blade slicer
½ cup heaping of cucumber, peeled, sliced lengthwise and seeded, cut into ¼-inch dice
1 recipe Charred Scallion Vinaigrette (see recipe)
Flaky salt and pepper to taste
METHOD:
Eat a slice of radish. If it is “hot” or “funky/whiffy” (you know, when you inhale through your nose and get a slightly sulfurous swampy aroma) put the radishes into a bowl of ice-water for 8-15 minutes, then spin dry and place on a kitchen towel to thoroughly dry.
Toss the lettuce and cucumbers in a non-reactive bowl. Drizzle with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat. Toss well to combine thoroughly and coat evenly. Place on 4 chilled plates. Put the radishes into the bowl and splash with a few drops of dressing and toss. Distribute evenly amongst the salads, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Chef’s Notes: Bringing in the slab of rye-bread and butter is a riff on the classic radish and butter appetizer you see in cookbooks, although I think this works out better. The rye and butter with chunky salt is an homage to the traditional recipe where the butter is usually requested to be from the north of France, and it is usually salted butter that is asked for.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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