LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2016

FLAVOURS  MIX & MATCH SALADS

ROMAINE SALAD WITH PICKLED ONIONS & GARLIC BREAD CRUMBS This salad is like Caesar’s fresher sum- mery cousin. Pickled red onions give it a zingy flavour and colour, while the toasted bread crumbs provide great crunch. Serve alongside a wheat beer such as Underdog All or Nothing Hopfenweisse ( LCBO 417543, 473 mL, $2.95). 4 large eggs 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 1½ cups (375 mL) fresh very coarse bread crumbs (ideally from a white rustic loaf) 2 tsp (10 mL) chopped garlic Salt and pepper ⅓ cup (80 mL) apple cider vinegar 1 small red onion, cut into very thin rings 6 cups (1.5 L) whole baby romaine leaves (hearts) Creamy Mustard Dressing (recipe page 161) ½ cup (125 mL) radish sprouts or other spicy microgreens 1 Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Care- fully add eggs and boil for 9 minutes. Drain and rise with cold water. Peel and set aside. 2 Add olive oil to a frying pan and place over medium-low heat. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until lightly golden. Add garlic and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes more or until garlic is sautéed and bread crumbs are crisp. Season with salt. 3 Combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Add onions, and push into liquid to submerge. Remove from heat and let stand 10minutes or until onions have softened and become flavourful. 4 Place romaine leaves in a bowl and drizzle in enough Creamy Mustard Dressing, while tossing, to lightly coat. Divide romaine be- tween serving plates. Cut eggs into quarters and divide between plates, seasoning each piece with a pinch of salt and pepper. Divide onions and bread crumbs between plates, and top with radish sprouts. Makes 4 servings ⅓ cup (80 mL) water 2 tsp (10 mL) sugar 1 tsp (5 mL) kosher salt

Romaine lettuce is crunchy and very “green” tasting, a flavour that the sprouts pick up. The ingredients that make this salad delicious are pickled and creamy, and the mustard dressing echoes and enhances those same flavours. The crispy bread crumbs add another layer of textural interest. CRUNCHY, CREAMY, PICKLED, GREEN & CRISPY

beets, green beans or marinated artichoke hearts.

➤  Crunchy lettuce like romaine hearts could be replaced by mature leaf lettuce in this salad. Other crunchy greens to consider are iceberg and napa cabbage, though their flavours would take this salad in a slightly different direction. ➤  Hard-boiled eggs provide a creamy richness to this salad. You could replace them with a soft creamy cheese like chèvre, avocado, steamed waxy potato or even some leftover cooked fish such as salmon. ➤  You could add any number of different pickled vegetables to the salad in place of the quick pickled onions. Look for carrots,

➤  The radish sprouts serve two purposes, adding a pretty visual element and a slightly spicy “green” flavour. You could substitute a variety of different microgreens or sprouts here, or simply add some coarsely chopped Italian parsley. ➤  Crispy garnishes, like the garlic bread crumbs in this salad, are mostly about adding textural interest. Other options to consider are crumbled tortilla or potato chips, or certain crackers (keeping in mind the flavour they are contributing).

138  FOOD & DRI NK SUMMER 2016