French
Simple Green Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
Tender butter lettuce dressed with a macerated-shallot vinaigrette of Dijon, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and toasted walnut oil, finished simply with fresh chives.
4 servings · 15 minutes prep
Ingredients
Shallot Vinaigrette
- 1 small shallot, very finely minced, about 2 tablespoons
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted walnut oil
Salad
- 1 large head butter lettuce, about 8 ounces, leaves separated, washed, thoroughly dried, and torn only where large
- 1 tablespoon finely sliced fresh chives
Directions
Macerate the Shallot
- Combine the shallot, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and black pepper in the mixing bowl. Rest for 10 minutes, until the shallot loses its harsh raw edge and perfumes the vinegar.
Finish the Vinaigrette
- Whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil and toasted walnut oil gradually until the vinaigrette is cohesive but still fluid. Taste it with a piece of lettuce and correct the seasoning only if the dressed leaf tastes flat or aggressively acidic.
Dress and Serve
- Place the completely dry butter lettuce in a broad bowl. Spoon about three-quarters of the vinaigrette around the inner wall rather than pouring it onto one spot. Toss gently from underneath, adding only enough remaining vinaigrette to give every leaf a delicate sheen.
- Add the chives, toss once, and arrange the leaves loosely on a platter so they are not compressed. Serve cold while the ingredients remain firm and fresh-tasting.
