Bistro bouquet with mignonette dressing
Servings: 4
This is the kind of bouquet you’d pay a pretty penny for in a bistro, but it can equally be a posy for every day. Keep it simple and just go a punnet of mesclun with this dressing, then do what I do at home, which is ix-nay on the uss-fay and simply toss leaves in the bowl, add the dressing just before serving and call it a day. You can have perfectly crisp, chilled leaves for up to five days if you treat ’em right, siphoning off leaves for small salads as you need. Just wrap spun, undressed leaves carefully in paper towel and put them in a container or loosely tied bag in the fridge. Dressing dregs will happily last in the fridge, too – or use the last of it on some oysters!
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Ingredients
- 1 large soft lettuce such as oak leaf or butterhead or assorted leaves
- ½ bunch radishes about 125 g (4½ oz), finely sliced and soaked in cold water
SMALL AND SWEET MIGNONETTE DRESSING
- 2 golden shallots peeled and finely diced
- 1 tsp caster superfine sugar
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp salt flakes
- 1 tbsp just-boiled water
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
FINAL BITS & BOBS
- ½ cup finely snipped chives and dill sprigs or other soft herb leaves (such as parsley)
- 10 g (⅜ oz) edible flowers (optional but excellent)
Instructions
- To make the dressing, grab a clean jar and put the shallot, caster sugar, vinegar, salt and water into the base of the jar. Close the lid and give it a good shake together until the sugar dissolves and the shallots start blushing. Add the rest of the dressing ingredients and shake again like a polaroid picture, to combine. Leave to develop and relax for around half an hour before serving, if you can.
- Use your hands to separate the lettuce into its leaves and pop into a large bowl of cold water to soak. After 15 minutes, drain the chilled, refreshed leaves and spin in a salad spinner or clean tea towel (outside!), then lay on clean, dry paper towel to capture any final moisture.
- When ready to serve, pour a third of the dressing into the base of a wide, high-sided salad bowl. Build the leafy bouquet by starting with the larger leaves at the base, resting on the sides, then assembling the smaller leaves at the front. Artfully arrange the radish slices poking out from between the leaves and sprinkle with the chives and dill, or other soft herbs, and edible flowers, if using. Serve the extra dressing at the table or store in the fridge for up to a week. Scoop a little dressing with the base of the leaves as you dish it out.
Notes
Recipe from Salad for Days (Murdoch Books)
