According to Rebekah Peppler, a solid vinaigrette makes an average salad great and a great salad unforgettable. And the vinaigrette from her book À Table is decidedly solid. Spiked with earthy capers, bright with acid, and barely tempered with honey, it makes this already great salad truly memorable. Tempting as it might be, don’t skip blanching the lemon slices before frying. It takes only a few more minutes and stamps out unwanted bitterness in the lemon pith.
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Ingredients
6 Servings
Dressing
2
medium shallots, thinly sliced
¼
cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
2
Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1
Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. finely chopped drained capers
1
Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1
tsp. honey
¾
cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Salad and assembly
½
cup raw pistachios
1
large lemon
Kosher salt
¼
cup extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt
3
oz. tender salad greens (such as arugula or mâche; about 3 cups)
2
cups coarsely chopped parsley leaves with tender stems
1
cup mint leaves, torn if large
1
bunch red radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced
Preparation
Dressing
Step 1
Whisk shallots, vinegar, lemon juice, capers, mustard, and honey in a small bowl; let sit at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour. Whisk in oil and season dressing with salt and pepper.
Do ahead: Dressing can be made 2 days ahead; cover and chill.
Salad and assembly
Step 2
Toast pistachios in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until golden brown in spots, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and coarsely chop.
Step 3
Thinly slice lemon crosswise into rounds; pluck out seeds and discard. Cook lemon slices in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water until just barely tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Step 4
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, cook lemon slices, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and season with sea salt; let cool. Set aside a few lemon slices for serving. Transfer remaining lemon slices to a cutting board and coarsely chop.
Step 5
Drizzle half of dressing in a large bowl. Add greens, parsley, mint, radishes, and chopped lemon slices; toss to coat. Top with pistachios and reserved lemon slices. Serve remaining dressing alongside.
Recipes adapted with permission from ‘À Table: Recipes for Cooking + Eating the French Way’ by Rebekah Peppler. Copyright © 2021 by Rebekah Peppler. Published by Chronicle Books.
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