Long before we stood in line to watch our salad bits tossed by assembly-line hands and stuffed into biodegradable bowls, we ordered chopped salads in restaurants.
Chefs in those kitchens took care to balance crunch with creamy, tangy and savory. The reds of radishes and tomatoes, the burnish of crisped bacon and bright greens of beans and hardy lettuces showed through milky dressings that coated each piece. Precise knife-work guaranteed a democratically diverse representation of vegetables in every forkful, bestowing an ironically elevated status on the whole genre.
And we ordered chopped salads in great numbers, expecting to see them on menus as an all-American option.
The nation's Salad Coast, aka West, laid claim to the chopped salad's invention more than a half-century ago, and since then the variations and tweaks have moved the goal line from what a good chopped salad ought to be to anything-goes, kitchen-sink mode. Unless, of course, a particular establishment has produced such an instant classic that its patrons threaten to defect if that salad changes or is retired.
"Chopped salad was the go-to dish in the restaurant you grew up with -- the one that brings you back to another era," says chef Michael Schlow, head of a restaurant group that delivers a satisfying rendition at the Riggsby in Washington's Carlyle Hotel. "It was really one of the first that made it onto this menu: crisp and clean, a little decadent. It will never come off."
The Riggsby serves its Jimmy's Special Chopped House Salad as a first course. It echoes saltiness in bacon morsels, small cheddar cubes and parmesan crisps, and packs in mandoline-thin slices of zucchini and radish, quartered cherry tomatoes, lettuce and green beans reduced to 1-inch pieces, separately shredded egg whites and yolks and finely chopped chives.
What makes a good chopped salad? It need not have specific ingredients, the way, say, a Cobb salad ought to include blue cheese and hard-cooked egg, tomato and avocado. Texture is key; no solid components should be significantly larger than others. The raw and the cooked are often side by side. Bite to bite, it can vary, with the overall effect of jumbled treasure.
The dressing does need to bring it all together with harmonic sweetness and acidity. Schlow says his Riggsby kitchen constantly tinkers with the Thousand Island dressing it makes. Sriracha sets it apart in an unexpected yet winning way.
The chopped salad made famous at Freds, the restaurant located in Barneys department stores, skews a little sweet with ripe pear and a creamy balsamic dressing. It is topped with "pulled chicken" and costs $30 at its downtown New York location. But the recipe is included in a new Freds cookbook, and we can report that you can, indeed, make it at home for less.
A chopped salad can go Tex-Mex, as proved by Melissa Coleman in The Minimalist Kitchen (Oxmoor House, 2018): chipotle, black beans and garlic, of course. Sweet potato tortilla chips add extra flavor, and although the dressing isn't exactly creamy, it has enough clingy ingredients to make it work.
Now, this type of salad's very name connotes a certain amount of work and prowess at the cutting board. Chopping offers a Zen experience for some home cooks, but not all. A trip to your supermarket salad bar can eliminate most of the work, as the elements have been cooked and/or cut down already. The best pickings happen in the morning, when the ingredients are at their freshest; keep in mind that an evening or late-night trip could end with you staring at empty stainless-steel surfaces after the salad bar has been put away.
What you can do with all chopped salads you make at home is to prep the ingredients a day or two in advance and stash them separately. Radish slices stored in cool water will stay crisp. Cut lettuce wrapped in barely damp paper towel won't dry out. Wait to break down hard-cooked eggs, as needed. Make a boatload of dressing so you can assemble another chopped salad a few days later. You will want to, and the dressing will keep.
Toss the components with more dressing than you might use for a regular salad, and do so just before serving. Save the especially crispy bits for scattering on top.
You may never want to stand in line for assembly-line salad again.
Freds Chopped Chicken Salad
For the dressing:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
For the salad:
1 ripe pear, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 ounces mixed salad greens
1 cup string beans, blanched and cut into 1-inch pieces (see note)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, each cut in half
1/2 cup minced onion
Flesh of 2 ripe avocados, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 1/2 cups cooked chicken, from one roast chicken, divided use
For the dressing: Combine the vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, kosher salt and pepper in a blender; puree for about 30 seconds. On low speed, slowly drizzle in the oil to form an emulsified dressing. Taste and add the sugar, as needed. The yield is 1 1/2 cups.
For the salad: Sprinkle the pear with lemon juice in a mixing bowl; this will keep the fruit from turning brown. Add salad greens, the green beans, tomatoes, onion, avocado and half of the chicken. Add 3/4 cup of the dressing and toss to make sure everything is lightly coated, adding more dressing, as needed. Leftover dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Shake to re-emulsify before using.
Divide the mixture among individual plates, distributing it equally. Top each portion with the rest of the chicken and serve right away.
Note: To blanch the green beans, boil a pot of water over high heat. Add a pinch of salt and then the beans; cook for 30 seconds, then drain and immediately transfer them to a bowl of water and ice cubes. When cool, drain and pat dry.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Nutrition: Each of 6 servings prepared using 1 cup of the dressing contains approximately 490 calories, 27 g protein, 37 g fat, 15 g carbohydrate (7 g sugar), 70 mg cholesterol, 590 mg sodium and 5 g fiber.
Adapted from The Freds at Barneys New York Cookbook by Mark Strausman and Susan Littlefield (Grand Central Life & Style, 2018)
Chipotle-Garlic Chopped Salad
For the dressing:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon pureed chipotles in adobo
2 teaspoons ketchup
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon good-quality mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Squeeze of honey (optional)
For the salad:
1 1/2 pounds green leaf lettuce or green cabbage, thinly sliced
20 sweet potato tortilla chips, such as Food Should Taste Good brand OR regular tortilla chips
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
1 1/2 cups charred or roasted corn kernels, (from frozen is OK; just heat through)
1/2 cup quartered grape tomatoes
Flesh of 1 avocado, diced
3 radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
For the dressing: Combine the oil, pureed chipotles, ketchup, vinegar, mayo, garlic, salt and the honey, if using, in a blender or food processor; puree until smooth. The yield is about 1/2 cup. The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 1 month. Before serving shake to re-emulsify.
For the salad: Combine the lettuce or cabbage, tortilla chips, cheese, black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, radishes and cilantro in a mixing bowl and toss to incorporate. Just before serving, add the salad dressing (shake it first to re-emulsify, as needed) and toss gently to coat evenly.
Divide the salad among individual plates. Serve right away.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 490 calories, 14 g protein, 31 g fat, 44 g carbohydrate (6 g sugar), 15 mg cholesterol, 310 mg sodium and 13 g fiber.
Recipe adapted from Minimalist Kitchen: 100 Wholesome Recipes, Essential Tools and Efficient Techniques by Melissa Coleman
Jimmy's Special Chopped House Salad
For the dressing:
1 1/2 cups regular or low-fat mayonnaise
3/4 cup ketchup (Heinz recommended)
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or more as needed
1 tablespoon PLUS 2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed
2/3 cup minced cornichons (from 4 ounces; may substitute sweet gherkins)
2 tablespoons minced white onion
3 hard-cooked eggs, grated
For the cheese crisps:
2 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
For the salad:
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut into halves or quarters
2 cups green beans, blanched and cut into 1-inch pieces (see note)
1/2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise in half and then crosswise into very thin slices (preferably with a mandoline)
4 or 5 red round radishes, cut into thin slices
2 ounces mild cheddar cheese, cut into small dice
2 heads green leaf or butter lettuce, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 strips cooked bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 large eggs, hard-cooked and separated into whites and yolks, then grated
20 chives, minced
For the dressing: Whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, vinegar, Sriracha, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and salt in a mixing bowl until well blended. Stir in the cornichons, onion and eggs. Taste, and add more salt and/or lemon juice, as needed. The yield is about 4 cups.
For the cheese crisps: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Line a plate with paper towels.
Portion the cheese into 2-teaspoon piles, spacing them about 1 inch apart and pressing them down slightly. Bake (middle rack) for about 6 minutes, or until golden and melted. Let cool on the baking sheet, then transfer to the paper towel-lined plate to drain before using.
For the salad: Combine the tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, radishes (to taste), cheddar cheese and lettuce in a mixing bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups of the dressing and toss to coat. Taste, and add more of the dressing; you want the salad components to be evenly and well coated.
Divide among individual bowls or plates, then top each serving with some of the bacon, the cheese crisps (breaking them up as you go), grated egg whites and yolks. Sprinkle with the chives and serve right away.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Note: To blanch the green beans, bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a pinch of salt and the trimmed beans; cook for 30 seconds or so, until just bright green, then drain and immediately transfer to a bowl of water and ice cubes. Cool completely and pat dry before using.
Nutrition information: Each of six servings prepared with low-fat mayonnaise contains approximately 270 calories, 14 g protein, 16 g fat, 19 g carbohydrate (9 g sugar), 125 mg cholesterol, 800 mg sodium and 6 g fiber.
From the Michael Schlow Restaurant Group
Food on 08/22/2018