Salads and Dressings.pptx

Salads and Dressings Everything you didn’t know you needed to know about salad What is a salad? According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, a salad is any of the various “usually cold dishes” including raw greens, vegetables and toppings. It is served with dressing or small pieces of food, or usually...

Salads and Dressings Everything you didn’t know you needed to know about salad What is a salad? According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, a salad is any of the various “usually cold dishes” including raw greens, vegetables and toppings. It is served with dressing or small pieces of food, or usually mixed with a dressing or set in gelatin Traditionally, a salad is served as an appetizer before the main course of a meal Main course salads are more substantial and usually incorporate a protein (chicken, seafood, meat) An accompaniment salad is served with the main course as a light side to keep the dish fresh and provide color and nutrients Dessert salads are served as the last course and are often made of fruit, gelatin, nuts, and creams Types of Salads Simple Salads Composed Salads Main ingredient is leafy, green vegetable Usually served as a main course Bound/Marinated Salads Fruit Salads Prepared from cooked primary ingredients Main ingredient is fresh, canned, or cooked fruit Types of Salads Simple Salads Composed Salads Main ingredient is leafy, green vegetable Usually served as a main course Bound/Marinated Salads Fruit Salads Prepared from cooked primary ingredients Main ingredient is fresh, canned, or cooked fruit Simple Salads Salad of greens and various raw vegetables Should have a mixture of ingredients providing a variety of flavors, colors, and textures Can be served with any type of dressing Dressing can be tossed with the salad or served on the side Composed Salads Salad ingredients are assembled in a particular arrangement Usually the main course, especially at lunch Composed of all four elements of a salad: Foundation Body Dressing Garnish Bound or Marinated Salads When cooked items are mixed with mayonnaise, it is referred to as a bound salad When cooked foods are mixed with a vinaigrette, it is commonly called a marinated salad Often provide a way for a creative chef to use up leftovers Can be made of any complementary combination of veggies, meats, poultry, seafood, cheese, potatoes, pasta or grains Parts of a Salad Foundation Body The Base Usually a leafy green Main Element Meat, Veggies or Fruit Dressing Garnish Coats the salad Can be sweet, acidic, salty or creamy Makes it pretty, adds texture Usually herbs, cheese or nuts Types of Dressings Vinaigrette Emulsion Mayonnaise Simple Vinaigrette A basic vinaigrette is a mixture of oil and vinegar Oil - nice mouthfeel, acts as a flavor carrier for other ingredients Vinegar - “cuts” the fat, stops the oil from coating the palate Simple vinaigrettes need to achieve a balance in fat, acid and seasonings. Ratio is usually 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar The nature of the vinegar and oil is to repel each other and separate. Simple vinaigrettes need to be stirred before serving. Emulsified Dressings When simple vinaigrette is shaken or whipped, the oil and vinegar mix together in microscopic droplets creating an emulsion. An emulsion is a mixture of two liquids that don’t naturally mix such as oil and vinegar. In an emulsion, tiny droplets of one ingredient are suspending in the other. Mayonnaise To keep oil and vinegar from separating, an egg or egg yolk is added to stabilize the mixture. Mayonnaise is a cold sauce that is an emulsion of oil and vinegar stabilized with egg yolk and mustard. Compounds found in mustard also help prevent an emulsion from breaking or separating. Mayonnaise is often used as a base in creating dressings or cold sauces. The standard proportion is one egg yolk to one cup of oil. Mayonnaise and Emulsified Dressings Once you can make mayonnaise, you can use the same technique to makes a ton of different emulsified dressings Most recipes incorporate additional ingredients like herbs, spices, and cheese Preparing Greens for Salad Before washing heads of lettuce, remove any damaged outer leaves, cut off the stems or remove cores Separate the leaves and place them into a large basin of cool water, moving them around with your hands Leave the lettuce in the water a minute or two to let any dirt or sand settle to the bottom Lift the leaves out of the water and drain, drying thoroughly Lay the leaves out in a single layer on a clean dish towel or paper towels then roll the towel up to rid leaves of any excess moisture Store the lettuce in a container or resealable bag in the refrigerator once it's dry Preparing Greens for Salad When ready to serve, cut lettuce into bite-size pieces. Pieces should be small enough that the diner should not have to use a knife to cut their salad Some chefs believe the leaves should be torn by hand rather than cut (knives used to be made with carbon steel which causes the leaves to oxidize or discolor and could leave a metallic taste) Most chefs now use stainless steel knives. Best Practices for Quality Salads Thoroughly wash all salad ingredients before using Keep salad ingredients well chilled to keep them crispy and sanitary Keep dressings containing egg or dairy products refrigerated at or below 41°F Chill salad plates before plating to avoid wilting greens and other ingredients Use gloves or utensils to handle salad ingredients because it is a ready-to-eat food Mix tossed salads with dressings as close to service as possible Don’t overdress salads, use only enough dressing to lightly coat the greens