A simple salad or . . . . Salade Composé

Friday 18 April 2014

 

Sixty years ago, the English writer GK Chesterton wrote, `If an Englishman has understood a Frenchman, he has understood the most foreign of foreigners. The nation that is nearest is now the furthest away.'   We even chose to measure the distance between differently . . . for us it's miles . . . for them kilometers . . . We tend to think of them as roly poly individuals wearing berets, with ropes of garlic hanging around their necks . . . and then tend to think of us as being rather "toffee-nosed" and tasteless . . . capable only of cooking a good roast beef.



Our relationship has always been tenuous at best . . . a real love/hate kind of thing!  We noticed when on those times we have spent in France . . . you can get delicious cheeses from all over the world . . . but there are no British Cheeses, or at least we have never been able to find them.  The Toddster finds that very hard to take . . . a world without cheddar is a world that is missing something very dear to his heart!

 

I do like French food as a whole though . . . well with the exception of brains and snails . . . oh and frog's legs, that is.  (Just imagine all those poor frogs having to get around in wheelchairs!  Poor things!  It may taste like chicken . . . but . . . um . . . I'm not fond of chicken with freckles.  'Nuff said!!)

 

Anyhoooo . . . I do love most French food, and I think most Brit's do.  A lot of the higher class restaurants here in the UK carry French dishes on the menu . . . seriously.  Love . . . hate . . .



This is a delicious salad, which one might easily find in any French Bistro . . . but, when you look at it . . . it's not really any different than an English Salad . . . except that it uses a tasty vinaigrette instead of salad cream.

 

For years the English did not do salad very well . . . and indeed, it can still be very difficult to find a decent salad when out and about here in the UK.  Britain . . . a salad does not have to be just a bunch of lettuce leaves, some sliced cucumber and tomato and spring onions on a plate, with a squeeze packet of salad cream on the side (If any dressing is offered at all, it often isn't.  What's with that???).



A salad can be as diverse as the people who enjoy eating them.  To some . . . that aforementioned combination might well be the salad of their dreams!  To others . . . well, it's sadly lacking.
Early on in our marriage when I told Todd I was making us a salad for lunch, he turned up his nose and said . . . "I don't really like salad.  Salad is boring."  Well . . . he had never had one of mine and now he quite likes it, I am very happy to say!



I can say with all impunity . . . I have never served him a boring salad!!  good  A salad is only as tasty and exciting as the ingredients used, and . . . of course . . . the dressing you choose to drizzle over it.  Fresh ingredients, with a delicious combination of colours, textures and tastes . . . with an incredibly scrummy dressing . . . perhaps some crisp croutons . . .  homemade please!!  (Isn't that what stale bread is for?)  That's what makes a good salad GREAT! Nom! Nom!



 *Salade Composé*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This literally means "Composed Salad."  The ingredients are layered on top of each other rather than being tossed together.  I love the tangy vinaigrette.

For the salad:
1 small French Baguette
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
60ml of extra virgin olive oil (1/4 cup)
6 rashers of streaky bacon, rind removed
150g of salad leaves (about 4 cups)
6 ripe plum tomatoes, sliced thinly
4 hard boiled eggs, halved lengthwise

For the Dressing:
60ml of sherry vinegar (1/4 cup)
80ml of extra virgin olive oil (1/3 cup)
3 tsp of good quality Dijon mustard
1 tsp runny honey
fine seasalt and cracked black pepper to taste

Put all of the dressing ingredients into a jar with a screw top lid.  Give it a good shake.  Set aside.

Preheat the grill to high.  Cut the bread into 1/2 inch slices.  Combine the garlic and oil for the salad.  Brush this mixture onto both sides of the bread slices.  Toast under the grill until golden brown.  Set aside and keep warm.  (Don't let them burn!)

Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet until crisp.  Place onto paper kitchen toweling to drain.  Set aside.

Layer the salad leaves in top of each of 4 chilled places.  Top with the bread slices, and bacon broken into chunky bits.  Top with the egg and tomatoes.  Give the vinaigrette another shake and drizzle some over each salad.  Pass the remainder at the table.

10 comments

  1. French or English this salad looks wonderful!
    Mary x

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm hungry just reading this, what an inspiration, a good kick in the seat of the pants to liven up those salads!YUM!

    ReplyDelete
  3. We've been enjoying salads too Marie..I love them so much more when the snow leaves:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sooner or later it has to go MOnique! I adore salads too! xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love a good salad, but sadly, I never seem to make a good one. Yours looks lovely, and if weren't for Good Friday and I can't eat meat, I'd give it a go.
    Perhaps tomorrow!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sounds like a great plan Sharon! xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. "A salad is only as tasty and exciting as the ingredients used"

    Never a truer word spoken! When I mentioned salad during my fist days here, all the family made a face. It was only because they thought a salad meant a limp piece of iceberg lettuce and a quarter of a tomato! I've since shown them the error of their ways!

    This looks like a lovely, fresh meal on its own and ideal for the balmy weather we are having.

    ReplyDelete
  8. How did you dare???? The pictures made me so hungryyyyyyyyyyyyy hahahahaha
    Its fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks Marie! So glad our own balmy weather is making it across the channel! xxoo

    Neolia, no need to be hungry, make the salad! I bet you have the ingredients in the house already! xxoo

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by. I love to hear from you so do not be shy!


BEFORE LEAVING A COMMENT OR RATING, ASK YOURSELF:
Did you make the recipe as directed? Recipe results are not guaranteed when changes have been made.

Is this comment helpful to other readers? Rude or hateful comments will not be approved. Remember that this website is run by a real person.

Are you here to complain about ads? Please keep in mind that I develop these recipes and provide them to you for free. Advertising helps to defray my cost of doing so, and allows me to continue to post regular fresh content.

Thanks so much for your understanding! I appreciate you!