Just because a salad is simple and fresh, it does not have to be boring not a recipe as much as it is a list of ingredients. Melon and prosciutto is a very typical Italian flavour combination, but Chef MacNeil elevates it into a salad that is not over complicated, despite its modern twist. The sweetness, saltiness, acidity and bitterness all balance together to make a great appetizer for a summer barbeque or even a late night snack. The first step is to compress the melon, removing the air and creating a dense, jello-like texture, as Chef Macneil describes.
Centini Restaurant
Salad is often served as an appetizer or side, but it can also make for a substantial, yet light, entrée. Husband and wife team, Chefs Chevonne Miller and Fabio Centini, at Centini restaurant, find that as the warmer months approach, customers choose more
The key to playing a cool and collected host is to prepare all your mise en place ahead of time
containers. Then when you are ready to eat, just dress the lettuce with good vinegar and olive oil and artfully arrange the remaining ingredients on top. Chef Miller suggests trying Spanish sherry vinegar as it has a complex flavour without coming across as harshly acidic. She also encourages home cooks to get creative, stressing that there are no fixed rules when making a delicious salad. Depending on what you like to eat and what ingredients you happen to have on hand, you can experiment with different techniques and flavour combinations. Maybe you will end up creating a salad that becomes your own signature summer dish!
salads for their main course, something that you can easily replicate at home. Chef Miller says that buying quality ingredients and combining them in just the right way can help you to produce, “restaurant-worthy dishes that will never fail to impress your friends or family.” By prepping each individual component in advance, when it comes time to serve, all that remains is to dress and assemble the salad. For Centini’s Salad Niçoise, you can wash the greens, boil the eggs, potatoes and green beans ahead of time and store them chilled in individual
Centini Restaurant’s Ahi Tuna Salad Niçoise Serves 4
8 cups mixed lettuce, gently torn and left in large pieces (butter lettuce, radicchio, romaine, Belgian endive, etc.) To taste sea salt/Maldon salt and black pepper ¼ cup (60 mL) sherry vinegar (if you are using a different vinegar, cut back a little to control the acidity of the vinaigrette) ¼ cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil 8 Gherkins, cut in half lengthwise 8 boiled eggs, cut in half 8 tomato quarters or 8-10 cherry tomatoes 25-30 assorted green and black pitted olives 8 boiled fingerling potatoes, cut lengthwise in half 20 boiled green beans (use crisp cooked asparagus if you prefer) 1 pickled cauliflower and a few roasted pickled peppers 850 g Black and White Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna
Dress the lettuce with vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in serving dish or on platter and artfully arrange the remaining ingredients on top. Top with Black and White Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna (see culinairemagazine.ca for Centini’s tuna recipe). Chef Fabio Centini
Mallory is a food writer living and learning in Calgary, Alberta. Check out her blog and blogger becauseilikechocolate.com and follow her on Twitter @cuzilikechoclat
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