The first truly carnivorous meal I ever ate was executed by the hands of my friend Micah, husband to one of my dearest lifelong friends, Liba. Micah (who is, by day, an exceptional screen and television writer) loves to cook meat. And he especially loved bringing me the slaughter that evening. We ate many gorgeous things, including sausage, clams, and duck (I know, I’m not actually sure how I left that evening). Needless to say, Micah is a brilliant home chef. He’s also the person who introduced me to this exquisite gem of a fall salad.
Frisée is one of those oft-overlooked greens, perplexing people with its airiness, its curl, and its tender bitterness. But as Jennifer McLagen writes in her new cookbook Bitter, “Bitter is the gatekeeper of adult taste.” And we’re all adults here, aren’t we? Get on the frisée tip, people. It’s the perfect pairing for sweet fall fruits like apple, Asian pear, and pomegranate.
This salad unites the bright bitter elegance of frisée with the roundness of Asian pair, the nutty earthiness of shaved pecorino, and the bite of quick pickled onions and a mustard and red wine vinaigrette. We have Micah to thank for this genius flavor pairing (although he originally used a softer and most delicious cheese, called L’Etivaz).
You’ll need at least 20 minutes prep time to quick pickle the onions in red wine vinegar and sea salt.
Ingredients
- 1 leaves medium to large head frisée washed and stem chopped off, separated
- 2-3 Tbsp . shaved pecorino parmesan, or L’Etivaz
- ¼ Asian pear thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp . very thinly sliced onion or shallot soaked for at least 15 minutes in 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar and 3 pinches good sea salt
- 1 tsp . stoneground mustard
- 1 Tbsp . olive oil
Instructions
- Set the onion or shallot to a quick pickle in a small bowl with the vinegar and sea salt. When they’re ready (at least 20 minutes—longer is fine, but 20 should give them a good flavor), make the dressing. Use 2 Tbsp. of the pickling vinegar, 1 tsp. stoneground mustard, and 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Mix well.
- Toss the frisée with the dressing, and add more olive oil, salt, or vinegar as desired. Plate the frisée, fleck with pickled onion, and top with thinly sliced Asian pear and cheese. Bon appetit!
