TART GREENS WITH PROSCIUTTO, PARMESAN & WARM BALSAMIC DRESSING

By jarren

Ingredients

• 1 medium red onion, sliced into thin rings
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 small head each of romaine, radicchio, red-leaf and curly endive
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 3-4 whole scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 3 oz Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved into curls with vegetable peeler
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 3 oz thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma cut into bite-sized squares
• 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil
• 1 cup lightly packed fresh Italian parsley
• 8 large cloves garlic, cut into 1/4" dice
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3-6 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 About 1 tbsp dark brown sugar

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Working ahead:
The salad can be assemble several hours ahead; cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Serve it lightly chilled. The dressing can be cooked up to several hours ahead. Cover and set aside at room temperature. Reheat just before serving.

Assembling the salad:

Rid onions of their sharpness by soaking them in 1/2 cup vinegar for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, wash and dry lettuces, throwing away coarse or bruised leaves. Tear leaves into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, toss greens with all but 3 tbsp of pine nuts, most of scallions, half the cheese, half Prosciutto and all basil and parsley. Arrange on a large platter.

Making the dressing:

In a medium skillet, slowly cook garlic in oil over very low heat, eight minutes, or until barely colored. Remove and reserve. Turn heat to medium-high and add vinegars. Cook a few moments or until the acid has diffused slightly. Add brown sugar to taste (this gives some depth to commercial balsamics) and let bubble slowly one minute. Taste for sweet/tart balance (take care to cool the sample, as the hot oil makes this scorching hot). Stir in extra brown sugar or balsamic vinegar to taste. If it's too sharp, simmer for a few moments to boil off some of the acid. Stir in reserved garlic and season with salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to serve.

To serve:

Top with drained red onion and scatter the rest of the scallions, pine nuts, cheese and Prosciutto over salad. Reheat dressing, stir vigorously to blend and spoon over the salad. Serve immediately.