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Chapter 21

Salads and Salad Dressings

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Chapter Objectives1. Identify and describe five different salad types, and select

appropriate recipes for use as an appetizer, accompaniment, main course, separate course, or dessert salad.

2. Identify a dozen popular salad greens; list six categories of other salad ingredients, and recognize several examples from each category.

3. Judge the quality of fruits and complete the pre-preparation procedures for fruit.

4. Identify the four basic parts of a salad.5. Prepare and arrange salads that achieve maximum eye appeal.6. Set up an efficient system for producing salads in quantity.7. Prepare the following types of salads: green, vegetable, bound,

fruit, combination, and gelatin.8. Set up a successful salad bar and buffet service.9. Identify the major salad dressing ingredients.10.Prepare the following: oil and vinegar dressings, mayonnaise and

mayonnaise-based dressings, cooked dressings, and specialty dressings.

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Salads and Salad Dressings

Before refrigeration, the pantry was where food products were kept before going into the kitchen.

It was especially suited to production of cold foods.

It was called Garde Manger. Garde manger chefs have to master a

wide range of cooking techniques and have artistic judgment.

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The Salad The definition of a salad: A single

food or a mixture of foods accompanied or bound by a dressing

A salad can contain meat, grains, nuts, or cheese and contain no lettuce

It can be an appetizer, entrée, side dish or dessert

The color, texture, and flavor should compliment each other

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Appetizer Salads

Many establishments serve salads as a first course. Takes pressure off the kitchen Satisfies the customer with something to eat,

quickly Appetizer salads should stimulate the

appetite with tangy, flavorful dressings and look good.

Appetizer salads should not be too filling Attractive arrangements and garnish are

important.

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Accompaniment Salads

Salads served with the main course Serve the same function of other

side dishes (vegetables and starches)

Must be harmonious with the rest of the meal

Light and flavorful, not too rich Heavy salads with macaroni or

potatoes are less appropriate

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Main-Course Salads

Cold salad plates are popular with luncheon and diet-conscious customers.

They should be large enough to be a full meal and contain sufficient protein.

They should offer variety and a balanced meal in terms of flavors, textures, and color.

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Separate-Course Salads

The European version of a salad. A refreshing salad after a wonderful

entrée to cleanse the palate and get ready for the dessert.

It should be in no way filling.

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Dessert Salads

Usually sweet and may contain fruits, sweetened gelatin, nuts, and cream.

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Salad Greens Lettuce

Bibb or limestone Boston Iceberg Leaf Romaine

Escarole Chicory or Curly Endive Frisée Belgian Endive Radicchio Chinese Cabbage or Celery Cabbage Spinach Dandelion Greens Watercress Arugula Mesclun Tatsoi Mâche Microgreens or Baby lettuces

Brune d’Hiver Lola Rosa Red Sails Pirate

Sprouts Edible flowers Fresh Herbs Mache

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Salad Greens

Lettuce Bibb or limestone Boston Iceberg Leaf Romaine

Escarole Chicory or Curly Endive Frisée Belgian Endive Radicchio Chinese Cabbage or

Celery Cabbage Spinach Dandelion Greens Watercress

Arugula Radicchio Mesclun Tatsoi Mâche Microgreens or Baby

lettuces Brune d’Hiver Lola Rosa Red Sails Pirate

Sprouts Edible Flowers Fresh Herbs

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Vegetables Raw

Avocado Bean Sprouts Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celeriac Celery Cucumbers

Jerusalem artichokes Kohlrabi Mushrooms Onions Peppers Radishes Scallions Tomatoes

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Vegetables, Cooked, Pickled, and Canned

Artichoke hearts Asparagus Beans Beets Carrots Corn Cucumber pickles Hearts of palm

Leeks Olives Peas Peppers, roasted Pimentos Potatoes Water chestnuts

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Starches

Dried beans Potatoes Macaroni Products Grains Bread (croutons)

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Fruits, Fresh, Cooked, Canned, or Frozen

Mangoes Melons Nectarines Oranges Papayas Peaches Pears Persimmons Pineapple Plums Pomegranates Prickly pears Prunes Raisins

Apples Apricots Bananas Berries Cherries Coconut Dates Figs Grapefruit Grapes Kiwi Fruit Kumquats Mandarin oranges and

tangerines

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Meats – All Poultry – All Fish and Shellfish Salami, prosciutto Bacon Eggs, hard-cooked Cheese, cottage Cheese, aged or cures

Protein Foods

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Miscellaneous Salad Ingredients

Gelatin (plain or flavored) Nuts - all varieties

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Arrangement and Presentation

The Structure of a SaladThere are Four basic parts of a

salad:Base or underlinerBodyGarnish Dressing

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Use a cold plate Keep the salad off the rim Strike a good balance of colors Height keeps a salad attractive Cut ingredients neatly Make salad ingredients identifiable Keep it simple

Guidelines for Arranging Salads

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Preparing Salad Greens

Washing Draining Crisping Tearing and cutting Mixing Plating Garnishing Dressing (immediately before service)

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Vegetable Salads

Vegetable salads are those whose main ingredient are vegetables other than lettuce or other leafy greens.

Some vegetables can be raw like celery, cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, and green peppers

Sometimes cooked pasta or a protein item is used along with cheese. Remember height makes the salads interesting.

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Bound salads are mixtures of foods that are held together with a thick dressing, such as a mayonnaise type.

Popular choices for cooked salads are:• ChickenChicken

• EggsEggs

• RiceRice

• CrabCrab

• SalmonSalmon

• TurkeyTurkey

• PotatoesPotatoes

• HamHam

• ShrimpShrimp

• LobsterLobster

• PastasPastas

• TunaTuna

• Mixed Mixed VegetablesVegetables

Bound Salads

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Principles: The history of gelatin salads started with

aspics, the highly ornamented appetizers and elaborate pieces made with fish stocks in natural gelatin. Aspics are part of classical cuisine and part of modern buffet work.

Purified granular gelatin and gelatin sheets are available for use in the pantry

You need to know how to prepare these salads using unflavored gelatin with fruit juices and other ingredients for flavor.

Gelatin Salads

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Composed Salads Composed salads are made by arranging two

or more elements attractively on a plate. Guidelines:

Observe the guidelines for each of the salad components, such as greens, vegetables, cooked salads, and fruit salads

Prepare each component separately Arrangements may be plated in advance if the

components will hold well Prepare and add hot or warm components

immediately before serving Observe general guidelines of salad arrangement and

presentation

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Salad bars have become standard fixtures in restaurants

They are popular with operators and customers. Customers like them because they can select from a large number of items and choose exactly what they want.

To be successful with salad bars you should keep a few points in mind Keep salad bar attractive and well stocked Keep the components simple but attractive Provide a variety of condiments for the customers to

select from Simple ingredients Prepared salads

Salad Bars and Buffet Service

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Arrange the salad bar using the following format (see p. 720) Plates Mixed greens Condiments (the expensive last) Dressings Crackers, breads, ect., if desired

Make sure you adhere to the health code Choose the right size plates and serving

pieces to allow for some portion control.

Salad Bars and Buffet Service (cont’d)

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Salad Dressings

Salad dressings are liquids or semi liquids used to flavor salads

The basic salad dressings can be divided into three categories

Oil and vinegar dressingsMayonnaise-based dressingsCooked dressings

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Because the flavors of most salad dressings are not modified by cooking, the quality of the dressings depends on the quality of the ingredients

Most dressings are an oil and acid like vinegar or citrus juices

Ingredients

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Oils Kinds

Corn oil Cottonseed, soybean, canola and safflower

oil Peanut oil Olive oil Walnut oil

Quality Factors All purpose oils have a mild, sweet flavor Winterized oil should be used for dressings

that will be refrigerated

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Vinegar Cider Vinegar White or distilled vinegar Wine vinegar Flavored vinegars Sherry Vinegar Balsamic vinegar Others specialty vinegars

Malt Rice Fruit flavored like raspberry

Lemon Juice Fresh lemon juice may be used in place of vinegar in

some preparations Egg yolk

An essential ingredient in mayonnaise

Salad Dressing Ingredients

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Nearly any spice or herb can be used in salad dressings

Dried herbs and spices need extra time to release their flavors

Most salad dressings should be made 2-3 hours before serving

Other ingredients added for flavoring are mustard, catsup, Worcestershire sauce and various types of cheese

Remember if you use a Roquefort cheese dressing it has to be made with Roquefort cheese

Seasoning and Flavoring

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Temporary Emulsions Simple oil and vinegar dressings are called

temporary emulsions because they will always separate after shaking

The negative side of temporary emulsions are they have to be shaken or stirred before each use

Permanent Emulsions Mayonnaise is a mixture of oil and vinegar

but the two are bound together by egg yolks which act as a emulsifier

Commercial emulsifiers are gums, starches, and gelatins

Emulsions in Salad Dressings

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Oil and Vinegar Dressings

Basic vinaigrette or basic French dressing is a mixture of oil, vinegar, and seasonings

FYI, the thickened, sweet tomato-based dressing often served as “French Dressing” is unknown in France

The ratio of oil and vinegar in basic vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar

Some chefs use a 2 to 1 ratio, others 4 to 1 ratio. The more vinegar or acid used the more tart the dressing will be.

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Mayonnaise is the most important emulsified dressing. It can be served by itself or added to make a new dressing

Emulsified French Dressing is similar to basic French dressing, except egg yolk has been added to keep the oil and vinegar from separating.

Emulsified Dressings

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You can make your own mayonnaise but remember it is not as stable as commercially produced mayonnaise and would not have as long a shelf life

The general ingredients are pasteurized egg yolk, oil, vinegar, and seasonings

Mayonnaise

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Other Salad Dressings

Cooked salad dressing is similar to mayonnaise, but it has a more tart flavor. It is made with little or no oil and thickened with a starch thickener.

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Copyright ©2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.