Robert Irvine’s Romaine Salad with Two Dressings
In an America that is so replete with food of every kind, from every ethnicity, celebrating every trend and innovation, ranging from the demand for artisanal and organic products and a growing local movement, to the use of foams, gels and liquid nitrogen in the preparation of dishes, Thanksgiving remains the time of year that promises all of the comforts of coming home. Whether you’re having dinner at the White House, in a suburban home with a white picket fence, on a beach in Malibu or stationed in a foreign land far away, there is something to be said for the simple pleasures of tradition. As a British import, I was introduced to the holiday as an adult, but as a boy in England, my Thanksgiving came every Sunday, with the family roast. You will not go wrong, I think, by applying the precepts of the English Sunday dinner to your holiday meal.
I think it’s nice to have a starter. In our house, we’d often have shrimp cocktail with a special dressing my mother used to make. A salad or a pureed vegetable soup, with chestnuts or root vegetables or squash, lightly spiced and warming, are great choices. Potatoes are a must, and in this category, I prefer mine roasted, but as the son of an Irishman, I would recommend adding at least one more dish of spuds, mashed, boiled or Lyonnaise into the mix. Have a field day with your veggies, with green beans (casseroled or not), sprouts, squash, broccoli, asparagus, peas; you can’t have too many and the sky’s the limit. Butter, garlic and lemon, salt and pepper are your greatest arsenal to showcase their beautiful flavors. Just, please, don’t overcook them.
The roast is the star (which usually means a big turkey over here!), but in determining the supporting cast, think mainly about flavors and about family favorites (candied yams with marshmallows are permissible), and if you’re doing it right, those will be one and the same.
The second best thing about Thanksgiving? You can virtually guarantee that there will be pie.
The best thing? Being truly thankful for all of your blessings. The triumph is in being together.
For more recipes and thoughts on culinary matters, go to www.chefrobertirvineblog.com.
Romaine Salad with Choice of
Raspberry Vinaigrette or Creamy Italian Dressing
Copyright © 2008, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved
Yield: 8 to 12 servings
(Make the dressings a couple of days ahead of time, so you won’t be stressed)
Ingredients for raspberry vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
1 shallot, quartered
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Ingredients for creamy Italian dressing:
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, lightly crushed with the side of a knife blade, and quartered
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Ingredients for salad:
12 cups romaine lettuce soaked in salt water to remove grit, stiff
spines removed, torn into bite-sized pieces and dried with a salad
spinner (from 2 or 3 heads romaine lettuce)
1 red onion, thinly sliced on a mandoline
1 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced on a mandoline
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 small loaf French bread, sliced, toasted and cut into 3/4-inch croutons
Method for the raspberry vinaigrette:
Add the vinegar to a blender, replace the lid, turn it on, and through
the feed opening add, one at a time, shallot, black pepper, salt,
mustard, and thyme. Then leaving the blender running, add the olive
oil in a slow thin stream.
Wash and dry the blender to have it ready to prepare the other dressing.
Method for the creamy Italian dressing:
Add the vinegar to a blender, replace the lid, turn it on, and through
the feed opening add, one at a time, garlic, black pepper, salt, red
pepper, and cheese. Then leaving the blender running, add the olive
oil in a slow thin stream.
Method for the salad:
Toss the lettuce, red onion, sweet onion, tomatoes, cheese, and parsley
together in a large bowl. Top with croutons, and serve the dressings
on the side.
Check out Robert’s favorite kitchen products in the Kitchen & Home Gift Guide.
CABAL RMT on February 11, 2011 at 10:21 PM
rmt
The Maritime Union, ARGO聽RMT
have been speaking to 3FM following yesterday's銉囥偒銉兂聽RMT
shock announcement 銈€儵銉壜爎mt
that Mezeron were to aion聽rmt
cease their Liverpool freight services.Hellgate聽RMT
General Secretary Bob Crow has brandedff14聽rmt
the news a major victory for the Steam Packet workers,鐪熉犱笁鍦嬬劇鍙宱nline聽RMT
who up until this point had been fearingdragon聽nest聽rmt
for their jobs and the future of the company.Since the launch of Mezeron's competitive freight service they had taken some significant customers away from the Steak Packet,鐪犮倝銇亜澶ч櫢銈儹銉庛偣聽RMT
including Shoprite銉°偆銉椼儷銈广儓銉笺儶銉悸燫MT
and Tesco,銈€儓銉┿兂銉嗐偅銈燫MT
it's believed that now淇￠暦銇噹鏈汷nline聽RMT
they have ceased over local 300 jobs have been safeguarded.銉儘銉笺偢銉�rmt
Mezeron said ultimately it was a very ambitious project,銈ㄣ偪銉笺儕銉偒銈偣聽RMT
one which didn't see the volume growth expected and neccessary for them to 銉夈儵銈淬兂銉嶃偣銉埪爎mt
continue operating.銉兗銈汇兂銉堛儚銉笺儓聽RMT
have said that the threat 銈€儵銉夋垿瑷樎爎mt
of more competition isn't completely gone however,DEKARON聽RMT
and say they remain vigilant and geared up澶ц埅娴锋檪浠Ｂ燫MT
if any other threats are posed toCABAL聽RMT
the future of the Steam Packet service.CRONOUS聽RMT
visvim on March 16, 2011 at 08:36 PM
It is and encouragement to me and I have had many occasions that I can pass that encouragement along to others!