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Recipe Detail Page
Caramelized Lemon & Escarole Salad with Brown Butter Vinaigrette
Holiday 2015
This salad features great cheese and the tart, slightly bitter notes of caramelized lemons. Serve it family style, mounded high on a platter, and let everyone serve themselves. You’ll buy yourself a few minutes in the kitchen to finish the turkey gravy. Use only the innermost leaves, constituting about half of each head of escarole for this salad. You’ll need about 2 heads for the measure indicated. Stir-fry the tougher outer leaves on another day.
Serves 8
1 small thin-skinned lemon, preferably organic
1 tsp (5 mL) sugar
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil, divided
3 tbsp (45 mL) salted butter
10 cups (2.5 L) pale yellow escarole leaves, washed, dried and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 cup (250 mL) flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tbsp (15 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste
2 oz (60 g) shaved Grana Padano cheese, about 1 cup (250 mL) loosely packed
1. Cut lemon into quarters and remove seeds. Slice each quarter crosswise into scant ¼-inchthick (5-mm) slices. Blanch in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Pat dry and turn out into a small bowl; sprinkle with sugar and ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt, and gently toss to combine.
2. Heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil in a small nonstick pan over medium heat; fry lemon slices, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes or until deeply caramelized and soft. Remove to a small plate (lemons may be prepared up to 4 hours in advance and kept, uncovered, at room temperature); set aside.
3. In a clean skillet, heat remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil and the butter over medium heat; cook until butter has stopped foaming and mixture is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat (butter mixture may be made to this point and held at room temperature, covered, for up to 1 day) and set aside.
4. When ready to serve, add escarole to a large mixing bowl along with parsley. Re-warm the butter mixture gently over low heat (it should be warm but not quite hot) and stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper; pour over greens and toss to combine. Turn out onto a large plate or platter, sprinkle with caramelized lemon and the cheese. Serve right away.
Serves 8
