Recipe courtesy of Traci Des Jardins
Warm Bread Salad with Roasted Baby Artichokes and Marinated Crescenza
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 4 servings
- Calories
- 1032
- Total Fat
- 56
- Saturated Fat
- 6
- Carbohydrates
- 108
- Dietary Fiber
- 36
- Sugar
- 12
- Protein
- 37
- Cholesterol
- 40
- Sodium
- 1926
- Total: 1 hr 10 min
- Active: 1 hr 5 min
Ingredients
8 ounces Crescenza cheese (a substitute is a buffalo or creamy mozzarella)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh thyme
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, half finely chopped
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon
16 baby artichokes
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups salad mix (use a hearty mix, i.e., with baby arugula, mizuna, radicchio, frisee)
1 loaf airy, day-old French bread (batard style), crust removed
Directions
- Place the Crescenza into a flat-bottomed glass vessel. Combine the Italian parsley, thyme and chopped basil with 1/4 cup olive oil in a small bowl. Pour over the cheese and season well with salt and pepper. (This may be done up to 3 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate if making in advance, and bring back to room temperature before proceeding.) Set aside.
- In a small bowl, place about 1 cup water with the juice of the lemon; this is called an acid bath and prevents foods which change color when exposed to air from doing so. “Turn” the artichokes by removing the tough outer leaves with a knife and trimming any of the tough green parts away. Cut in half and remove the chokes. Place the artichokes into the acid bath as you work.
- When all the artichokes have been prepared, slice them to 1/8-inch thick. Place 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan and heat over medium heat. Add the artichokes and season with salt and pepper. Allow the artichokes to cook until a nice golden brown and no longer al dente, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to drain on a paper towel.
- Make the vinaigrette by whisking together the balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup olive oil in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut the remaining basil into a chiffonade, or little strips, and mix with the greens in a large mixing bowl.
- Tear the bread into 1/2-inch pieces. Place the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan and add the bread. Season well with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the artichokes and heat until warm, about 1 minute. Add the warm artichokes and bread to the greens in the mixing bowl and dress with the vinaigrette; season well. Present on large individual plates with three pieces of cheese around the perimeter of each or on a big platter with the cheese underneath the salad or tossed into the salad.