have you noticed i have a thing for salad? i'm not talking about the kind that comes out of a bag barely green or, even worse, the one that you spritz with fat free dressing (it's not salad dressing if it comes in a spray bottle). i have a thing for cold, crisp, just-picked lettuces in every verdant shade, some freckled aubergine, too. i like the leaves sheathed in a slurry of opulent olive oil and lemon juiced between your palms. then, i want flavor and texture at play--a creamy handful of goat cheese and a rubble of croutons that burst garlicky olive oil in your mouth. finally, a few spoonfuls of still warm caramelized leeks to top it all off, ever so slightly melting into everything, followed by a sprinkle of sea salt from high above and a few cracks of black pepper. fork, please.
market greens with melted leeks, goat cheese & torn croutons
(serves 4)
for the torn croutons
1 loaf french bread, crusts trimmed off, torn into 1 - 2 inch pieces (about 3 cups total, you may not need all of the loaf)
extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, crushed
sea salt
for the salad
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, cut vertically, then sliced in 1/2 inch half moons
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
12 ounces fresh salad greens (arugula, baby romaine, mesclun)
for the dressing
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
prepare the torn croutons: fill a skillet large enough to fit all of the croutons with 1/8 inch of olive oil (if you don't have a skillet that large, use two smaller ones). set over medium heat. once the olive oil is warm, add the butter and garlic cloves. once the butter has melted, add the torn bread. turn the heat down a little. the key is to cook the croutons over low heat so they do not dry out. cook for 10-15 minutes, turning the croutons every couple of minutes, until golden brown. season with sea salt. do not remove to paper towels. let the croutons cool in the skillet.
prepare the leeks: if the leeks have any grit or dirt on them, rinse them in cool water and pat dry with paper towels. heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks begin to turn soft and shrink. add the white wine vinegar and season with a pinch of salt. continue to cook until the leeks turn golden and are quite soft, 15-20 minutes. turn off the heat, but keep the leeks warm in the pan.
prepare the dressing: combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, and dijon in a medium mixing bowl. whisk to combine. slowly drizzle in the olive oil as you whisk, until emulsified. season with salt & pepper.
prepare the salad: toss the greens with a few tablespoons of the dressing, adding more dressing if desired. divide the greens among individual serving plates. divide the goat cheese and croutons among the salads and top each one with a scoop of the warm leeks (you may have some leeks leftover for another use). drizzle a little bit of additional dressing over each salad, in addition to seasoning with a small pinch of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. serve immediately.
notes
* the torn croutons were adapted from a recipe in thomas keller's ad hoc cookbook. leftover croutons will keep for a couple days in an airtight container at room temperature.