### The Magic Behind This Salad
This vibrant salad comes alive with the addition of fresh satsuma juice and a few unique pantry staples, including pomegranate molasses and Calabrian chiles, which elevate a basic vinaigrette. The slight bitterness of trevisano is perfectly complemented by the sweet-and-sour notes of juicy satsuma segments. To enhance the dish further, sharp ricotta salata, fragrant herbs, and crunchy pistachios add depth and texture.
When winter rolls around, many people express their disdain for the season. I often think about that iconic debate from When Harry Met Sally—while some view winter with casual annoyance like Sally Albright, others (like me) dread it deeply. I may not peek at the last page of a book first, but come June 22nd, I’m already lamenting shorter days. As autumn arrives and most revel in fall foliage and pumpkin-spiced treats, I’m in full-on House Stark mode—warning everyone that winter is indeed on its way. Once the holiday cheer fades away, cooking with fresh produce can feel particularly dismal.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by an endless array of root vegetables like beets and parsnips during this time; however, there are delightful seasonal ingredients that can bring us back to life: chicories and citrus fruits! Aside from late summer’s tomato bounty, this is my favorite season for crafting salads. I relish working with various bitter greens such as radicchio or endive paired with bright oranges or mandarins.
A Versatile Ingredient List
The salad recipe below was inspired by my recent culinary adventures at home; while it’s delicious as written here, feel free to adapt it based on what you have available! The key concept behind this winter salad is achieving a balance between bitter flavors and sweetness while incorporating freshness from herbs along with acidity for brightness—and don’t forget some heat!
Shopping Tips
When selecting produce at your local market or grocery store, flexibility is essential! Recently I’ve found excellent trevisano available; however, conventional radicchio or red endive would also work beautifully in this recipe.
While nothing beats the juiciness of satsuma mandarins for this dish—if they’re unavailable any other mandarin variety will suffice! In fact—I use satsumas twice: once for juicing into the vinaigrette and again as whole segments tossed into the salad for bursts of sweetness. For an aesthetically pleasing presentation (and better mouthfeel), take a moment to remove any white pith from mandarin segments using a paring knife—it’s optional but adds finesse!
The only ingredient I specifically sought out was ricotta salata cheese; however you could easily substitute it with blue cheese or aged pecorino if desired. Fresh herbs are fantastic additions too—they help prevent waste before they spoil in your fridge! Toasted pistachios contribute richness along with crunchiness to round out each bite.
Crafting Your Vinaigrette
To create your vinaigrette: combine freshly squeezed satsuma juice with red wine vinegar alongside finely minced shallot plus two unconventional pantry items—Calabrian chiles & pomegranate molasses—which pack flavor into every drop! Whisk these together while slowly drizzling olive oil until emulsified then season generously with salt.
Dressing up your salad couldn’t be simpler! Always use a larger bowl than you think necessary when mixing ingredients together so everything gets evenly coated without drowning them in dressing right away!
Start off by placing just trevisano leaves inside your large mixing bowl then drizzle half of that luscious vinaigrette around its edges rather than directly overtop—the goal here being controlled coating rather than soggy greens!
Using clean hands (always!), toss gently until all pieces are well-coated before seasoning lightly again if needed then transfer half onto another serving platter/bowl leaving remaining leaves aside temporarily…
Next step? Add those beautiful mandarin segments & parsley leaves into mixing bowl pushing aside leftover trevisano first so they can mingle nicely amongst residual dressing left behind… Lightly toss these new additions ensuring even coverage before layering atop initial bed created earlier…
Keep delicate tarragon separate until final assembly since wilting occurs quickly once dressed—it’ll stick stubbornly down below otherwise… Finally sprinkle remaining pistachios/ricotta salata/tarragon over top completing layers beautifully before diving right in forgetting about wintry woes—even if just momentarily!
Recipe Overview
For Vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) fresh satsuma juice
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) red wine vinegar
- 1 small shallot (30 g), finely minced
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon (15g) chopped Calabrian chiles
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
For Salad:
- 1 head (~10 ounces; ~285 g) trevisano/radicchio
- Kosher salt
- 3 satsuma mandarins (~10 ounces; ~285g), peeled & segmented
- 1 cup (~12g) fresh parsley leaves
- 1/3 cup (~55g) toasted shelled pistachios
- 1/4 cup (~3g) fresh tarragon leaves
- ~2 ounces (~55g) ricotta salata cheese
Instructions
For Vinaigrette: In small bowl whisk together all ingredients except olive oil until combined then slowly drizzle while whisking constantly till emulsified adding salt per taste preference.
For Salad Assembly: Start by placing torn/torn pieces into large mixing bowl drizzling half vinaigrette around edges tossing gently using hands till evenly coated transferring half onto serving platter/bowl next adding remaining components layering carefully finishing off last touches atop prior layers served immediately enjoying every bite despite chilly weather outside!
Notes: If unable find specific varieties mentioned substitutions suggested above work equally well ensuring delicious results regardless!