This is a substantial salad that could serve as a light supper, and is about the interplay of the sweet, fruity, and acid, and soft components of the peppers, onions, and tomatoes in contrast with the crunchy, salty, slightly fatty roast pancetta wheel. Red Oak leaf lettuce is perfect for the bed. If you do not want to make the basil oil, substitute basil shreds and just use olive oil and balsamic vinegar. In lieu of pancetta, you could use buffalo mozzarella or goat cheese rounds. See Chef’s Notes for ideas.
INGREDIENTS:
1 head (or 6 cups) Red Oak Leaf lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into bite sized pieces 3 roasted bell peppers (red and yellow if possible), cleaned and cut into 2 inch x ¼ inch strips (See recipe for Basic Roasted Peppers) ½ a Basic Grilled Onion (see recipe) sliced 1/8th inch x 2 inches 2 tomatoes, cut into ¼ inch dice 4 circles pancetta (if slices are smaller 3-4 inches across, use 8) ¼ heaping cup pine nuts, untoasted Basil oil (see recipe) as needed* Balsamic vinegar as needed Large flake salt and pepper to tasteMETHOD:
Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lay the pancetta rounds on it. Keep the rounds intact. Cover with another sheet of parchment and place another sheet pan on top, and bake in the center of the oven until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. (If you want, you can skip the second parchment sheet and pan, but this method gives perfectly flat disks. This is one of those restaurant “things”…) When done, remove to a plate and reserve.
Toss the peppers and onions in a non-reactive bowl to combine, and drizzle with a touch of vinegar and a little salt and pepper.
Divide the lettuce between four plates.
Toss the tomatoes with the peppers and onions, then evenly divide and place in the center of each plate.
Drizzle the salads with a little balsamic vinegar and the basil oil. Use a 2:1 ratio of oil to vinegar.
Season the salads with salt and pepper, scatter the pine nuts over all, and place a pancetta disk on top. Serve right away.
Chef’s Notes:
*If you do not have, or wish to make, basil oil, slice 10 tender basil leaves whisker thin and add them to the peppers with the tomatoes by scattering them over the whole bowl before tossing to mix.
If you do want to use pancetta, use buffalo mozzarella sliced ¼ inch or thinner, 3 slices per salad. Arrange so they overlap in the center of the salad, and drizzle with a little of the oil and vinegar. You could also use small rounds of goat cheese rolled in seasoned and oiled bread crumbs, then roasted in a 400°F oven until warmed and the crumbs are golden.
Serves: 4
Source: CHef Andrew E Cohen
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