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January 13, 2015
This salad is one of the simplest and most elegant first courses imaginable. Red butter lettuce becomes a delicate bed for sweet Fuji apple slices, rich toasted hazelnuts, and deeply fulfilling crispy leeks. Topped off with creamy chèvre, leek-infused olive oil, red wine vinegar, and flaky sea salt, it’s a perfect midday delight or appetizer for a larger meal.
Frying leeks in olive oil and Maldon smoked sea salt yields an intoxicating flavor and texture that was so good I ended up dipping apple into it. For reals. Like, me and the frying pan and an apple standing over the sink.
This is also a great salad to make in large quantities—even ahead of time, so long as you don’t dress it until you’re ready to serve.
Ingredients
- 8-10 leaves large red butter lettuce washed and gently torn in medium-sized pieces, or other lettuces!
- ½ Fuji apple
- ¼ cup thinly sliced leek green or white parts
- 3 Tbsp . olive oil
- ¼ tsp . Maldon smoked sea salt or other flaky sea salt, smoked optional
- ¼ cup toasted hazelnuts
- ¼ cup chèvre goat’s cheese
- 2 tsp . red wine vinegar
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add leeks and sea salt and stir occasionally, cooking until crisp, about 2 minutes. Don’t burn. Remove from heat, and drain oil into a small bowl.
- Add red wine vinegar to oil and whisk with a fork to blend. If not already toasted, toast hazelnuts in a pan on the stove or in a toaster oven at high heat for a couple minutes. Be careful not to burn! Roughly chop.
- Assemble salad, layering leaves with apples, crumbled chèvre, and chopped hazelnuts. Drizzle with dressing mixture. Add a few sprinkles of sea salt, to taste.
