SALAD OF ESCAROLE & RADICCHIO WITH ORANGE SEGMENTS & ROASTED SUNCHOKES

April 1st, 2009

I love the crispness and acidity from this salad. It is especially delicious after enjoying rich dishes such as my Pork Saltimbocca or Potato Gnocchi with butter & sage. The addition of the roasted sunchokes (also called Jerusalem artichokes) adds texture to the dish and means it can even be enjoyed as a main course or lunch on its own.

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

-2 heads of escarole

-2 heads of purple or Treviso radicchio

-Medium grind sea salt such as a Fleur de Sel

-Freshly ground black pepper

-Best quality extra virgin olive oil (try to find recently harvested olio nuovo)

-Best quality champagne or white wine vinegar

-1 Meyer lemon

-1 pound sunchokes, cleansed of any dirt and chopped into bite-size pieces

-2 oranges cut into segments, pith removed

Trim off the outer leaves of the radicchio and escarole and cut into bite-size pieces. Wash in cold water and if possible dry using a salad spinner. If you don’t have a salad spinner then lay the lettuces out on paper towels and pat dry. Or if you would like to use an old-fashioned method wrap all lettuces in a large cloth towel. Grab the bottom of the towel and step outside. Hold the towel behind your back and vigorously sling forward as if you are going to launch the towel in front of you. Repeat until all the water has come off the lettuces.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the sunchokes onto a skillet or roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and any good fresh or dried herbs you have around. I like to use Herbs de Provence or anything similar. Roast in oven for approximately 20 minutes or until the sunchokes are brown on all sides.

Put the lettuces & orange into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle approximately 1 tablespoon of the sea salt on top of the lettuces. Crack a few good rounds of black pepper. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of the champagne vinegar over everything. The vinegar will cause the salt to break down. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over everything. Drizzle a healthy amount of the extra virgin olive oil, approximately 3 tablespoons. With your hands carefully mix the salad well. Taste a lettuce. Is there enough saltiness and most importantly acidity? If not, add more vinegar and toss again and taste.

Pour in the warm sunchokes into your now perfectly seasoned salad. Toss again and serve immediately.

I like a lot of acidity in my salads so feel free to adjust this to your taste and to those of your guests. Enjoy!

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