Ooh la la my take on a delicious French classic – Salade Parisienne. It is not quite the depths of a bleak mid-winter, but it is a strange hinterland. I heard it described today as Midfest, and it’s the strange time between Christmas and the New Year. Your children are still on holiday from school. Some people you know are back at work while others are still on holiday. You may be eating out with distant relatives every day or still using up the leftovers still stuffed in your fridge. But one thing is for sure its time for something light and tasty after all the festive excesses.
What is Salad Parisienne?
Salade Parisienne is a French bistro classic, the kind of dish you will find in little family-owned zinc bars and cafés. It relies on fresh ingredients simple prepared and served without a lot of fuss. Salade Parisienne is technically known as a salade composée this means it is arranged in bowl rather than all the ingredients tossed together. It usually consists of lettuce, boiled egg, potatoes, diced ham, and cheese dressed in a light mustard vinaigrette.
Beyond that recipes abound, you can add fresh peas, French beans, and mushrooms. I have even seen gherkins included although to date I have not tried this variation. The great thing is that you can use things you may have post-Christmas in a light, refreshing way. The salad is traditionally made with Emmental, but you can use other hard cheeses like Comté, Gruyére, or even a mild Cheddar.
Salad Parisienne
The recipes I have seen all use raw mushrooms, I am not a fan at all, so I quickly sauté mine in a little olive oil and generously season before adding to the salad. There is quite a lot of preparation for a simple salad but the result is well worth it. If you have any dressing leftover from making the salad store in a small airtight container in your fridge it will keep for up to a week
Salade Parisienne
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 12 small Baby Potatoes washed and cut in half
- 4 free-range Eggs
- 2 Baby Gem Lettuce washed and thoroughly dried
- 200 gr diced Ham
- 200 gr Emmental Cheese diced
- 200 gr Button Mushrooms wiped and sliced
- 100 gr French Beans washed and trimmed
- 50 ml quality Olive Oil
- Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
For the Dressing
- 75 ml Olive Oil
- 25 ml White Wine Vinegar
- 1 small Shallot peeled and very finely diced
- 1 teaspoon Wholegrain Mustard
- ½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ teaspoon Caster Sugar
- Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
Instructions
For the Dressing
- Place the shallot into a small bowl and sprinkle with sugar and a large pinch of salt. Add the mustards and slowly stir in the vinegar. Slowly pour in the oil whisking constantly. Season and set aside.
For the Salad
- Heat the oil in a medium sized, heavy-bottomed frying pan. Sauté the mushrooms for two to three minutes on both sides then remove to a piece of kitchen paper. Season well and allow to cool.
- Place the potatoes in a pan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil and cook for ten to fifteen minutes or until cook. Plunge the potatoes into iced cold water to arrest the cooking process.
- Bring another pan of salted water to the boil and add the French beans, cook for four to five minutes, and then plunge into iced water like the potatoes.
- Half fill a medium sized pan with water, enough to generously cover your eggs, and bring to a simmer. Carefully lower the eggs into the gently boiling water with a spoon and start your timer. Cook for six minutes and plunge into iced cold water. When totally chilled peel, halve and set aside.
- Break up the lettuce then arrange the ingredients in four bowls, dress and serve.
Notes
MAY I ASK A FAVOUR?
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