@Drop cap Minion:Many years ago, the restaurant in the Agate Beach Hilton Hotel in Newport Beach produced a wonderful spinach salad.
Many excursions to the coast were highlighted with this special offering. It was that good.
Unfortunately, the Hilton packed up its spinach salad recipe and blew town.
However, my attempt to clone their specialty was relatively successful — worth-the-trip spinach salad is now a Dominguez house specialty.
For those of us who appreciate the flavor and crunch of a well turned spinach salad — particularly during these winter months when the quality and price of lettuce is about as predictable as a lottery ticket — I’ve decided to share a few of my favorites.
But first things first.
A fine spinach salad begins in a sink full of cool water. Dump in all of the unwashed leaves and vigorously slosh them around.
Next, twist away the roots, place the leaves on the drainboard, clean out the sink and fill it again with cold water. After a second dunking, most of the grit should be gone; but look closely and if necessary, run the leaves under the tap.
Finally, spread the leaves out on a clean, absorbent kitchen towel, roll it up jelly-roll fashion, and stick it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to compose your salad.
Worth-the-trip spinach salad
About 1 pound fresh spinach, thoroughly washed, dried and chilled
10slices bacon, diced
5-6tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1tablespoon golden brown sugar
1/2teaspoon salt
1/4teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4cup canola oil
6mushrooms, sliced
1/2cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
2hard-cooked eggs, diced
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Roll up your washed and dried spinach leaves jelly roll fashion in a large kitchen towel and chill until you’re ready to use the leaves in the salad.
Fry the bacon until crisp, then remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings. Stir in the vinegar, scraping up all of the cooked-on bits of bacon, which adds a lot of flavor to the dressing. Whisk in the sugar, salt and black pepper. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and canola oil, then adjust seasonings; set aside.
Tear the spinach into bite-sized pieces, discarding tough stems. For individual servings, divide the spinach among 4 to 6 salad bowls. Over each bowl, layer mushrooms, pine nuts and some of the dressing. Sprinkle with the egg, crumbled bacon and Parmesan cheese.
For one large bowl to serve family style,layer ingredients as above and toss the salad at the table before serving.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Spinach salad with sauteed onions
About 1 pound fresh spinach, thoroughly washed, dried and chilled
1/2pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
8slices bacon, diced
1onion, diced
2cloves garlic, minced
1/4cup red wine vinegar
1tablespoon finely minced fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried and crumbled)
4teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1egg
1/2cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1teaspoon salt or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4hard-cooked eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
Tear spinach into bite-sized pieces, discarding tough stems. Place spinach and mushrooms in salad bowl; set aside in refrigerator. Saute bacon in skillet until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat, add the onions and garlic to the pan and gently saute over medium to medium-low heat just until softened. Be sure and scrape up all of the cooked-on bits of bacon as you’re sauteeing the onions because this will add a lot of flavor to the dressing.
Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool about 2 minutes (otherwise, when you add the vinegar, it will sizzle and splatter violently, creating a mess on your cook-top). Whisk in the vinegar, then add the basil, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Blend well. Whisk in the egg, then return the pan to the heat for just a moment to bring the temperature back up to “very hot,” (about 140 degrees). Remove from heat, but let the mixture sit for at least 4 minutes. (This second heating and standing process is to pasteurize the raw egg, an important safeguard against salmonella poisoning.)
Whisk in the oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly, until the dressing has thickened and blended. Adjust seasonings. Let the dressing cool slightly. It should be warm, but not hot. Toss enough of the dressing with the spinach and mushrooms to thoroughly coat the ingredients. Add the bacon, Parmesan and hard-cooked eggs, and toss again.
Serve immediately.
Makes 4 to 6 entree salads; 6 to 8 side salads.
Mixed greens with roasted walnuts, figs, Gorgonzola and warm port vinaigrette
13/4cups walnut halves or pieces
1pound mixed greens (my recommendation: 1/2 spinach, 1/4 arugula, and 1/4 mixed salad greens)
12dried figs, halved (see note below)
About 2 cups (12 ounces) Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Warm port vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Freshly ground black pepper
Spread the walnuts out on a baking pan and roast them in a 350 degree oven until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Coarsely chop them and transfer to a small bowl; set aside.
Arrange the spinach mixture on 8 salad plates. Arrange the prepared figs on each plate and divide the Gorgonzola and walnuts among them.
Drizzle a portion of the Port Vinaigrette over each salad, and if desired, lightly season each serving with freshly ground black pepper.
WARM PORT VINAIGRETTE: In a small saucepan, reduce 1 cup Ruby port wine by half over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon sugar, and stir to dissolve. Remove from heat, then whisk in 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar. Slowly whisk in 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Use while the vinaigrette is still slightly warm, or at room temperature.
ABOUT THE FIGS: If possible, use either Mission figs or Calimyrna figs. To prepare figs for use, halve lengthwise, then poach in a small amount of port wine until plumped, which will only take about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool in liquid.
Makes 8 servings.
Recipe adapted from The California Walnut Commission
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail at janrd@proaxis.com, or obtain additional recipes and food tips on her blog at www.janrd.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
