Crisp Leaves With Peas & Buttermilk Herb Dressing

Danielle Alvarez

Makes

enough to serve 4 - 6

Active time

15 mins

Inactive time

10 mins

Ingredients

½ cup (75g) fresh peas (or frozen works fine)
3 heads little gem lettuce (or other crisp lettuce such as cos or iceberg), leaves separated
1 small head fennel, thinly sliced on a mandolin (or with a very sharp knife)
BUTTERMILK HERB DRESSING
scant ½ cup (100g) sour cream
scant ½ cup (100ml) buttermilk
40ml mayonnaise, preferably homemade (see recipe)
juice of ½ lemon, about 40ml
3 tablespoons chopped chives
1 tablespoon chopped dill
1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane
1 small French shallot, finely diced
fine sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
GOOD MAYONNAISE makes 1½ (355g)
1 whole egg (see note)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
20ml white wine vinegar
1 cup (250ml) neutral oil (see note)

NOTE:

Frozen peas are flash steamed before freezing, consequently they don’t need to be cooked, just warmed quickly, to ensure they retain their colour and pop. Simply place the frozen peas in a strainer and hold them under warm running water.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

This salad dressing recipe makes more than the salad requires but it holds well in the fridge for several days. It’s excellent to dip pizza into, or pizza crusts at least (hi, I’m American!), as well as crudités. It can be difficult to find buttermilk in small amounts, but any leftover buttermilk makes an excellent marinade for chicken or can be frozen to use another time.

NOTES:

The oil you use is important. Choose something of good quality with minimal flavour. I like using avocado oil, or even a very light olive oil, but taste around and see what you like.
• The raw egg in homemade mayonnaise means it is not advised for pregnant women, babies and the immunocompromised (due to the elevated risk of salmonella). In any case, opt for super-fresh eggs from a trusted source.
• By using the whole egg, there is much less chance the mayonnaise will split (the egg whites make for a much more stable emulsion because of their protein content). If, on the off chance, your mayonnaise does split, pour it into another bowl. Clean the bowl of the food processor and start again, using a single egg white as the base and slowly streaming in the split mayonnaise.

A good, creamy herb dressing paired with crisp, cold, crunchy salad leaves is one of my favourite combinations – an American steakhouse staple typically known as a “wedge” salad, using a wedge of iceberg lettuce with a dressing of either ranch or blue cheese. I like to think mine is a little lighter: heavy on the fresh herbs and omitting the blue cheese for something that complements the delicate spring vegetables better. The mixture of sour cream and mayonnaise ensures you have something that feels light on the tongue but rich enough to coat the leaves. For a truly American experience, add chopped crisp bacon, tomatoes and crumbled blue cheese in place of the peas and fennel.

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Instructions

1.BUTTERMILK HERB DRESSING
2.Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch your fresh peas for about 3 minutes.
3.Strain and shock them in an ice bath as soon as they come out.
4.If using frozen peas, simply thaw them before using (see note).
5.Wash your lettuce and dry it well, either using a salad spinner or laying the washed leaves out on clean tea towels and carefully wrapping them.
6.To make the dressing, add all the ingredients (except for salt and pepper) to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
7.Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
8.To serve, arrange the lettuce leaves on a large platter and top with the peas and sliced fennel.
9.Finish by drizzling as much of the dressing as you like over the salad.
10.Keep any excess dressing in the fridge for other uses (see serving suggestion).
11.GOOD MAYONNAISE
12.Add the egg, mustard, salt and vinegar to the bowl of a small food processor.
13.Blend these together for 30 seconds until well combined.
14.With the machine running, slowly stream the oil through the opening in the lid of the food processor until all the oil is used up and a mayonnaise has formed.
15.Store the mayonnaise in a clean glass jar in the fridge and use within a week.

Images and text from
Recipes for a Lifetime of
Beautiful Cooking by Danielle
Alvarez with Libby Travers,
photography by Alan Benson.
Murdoch Books RRP $55.

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