Arugula, Fennel and Chanterelle Salad ▶
Remember the good old-fashioned spinach and mushroom salad, in which nothing was cooked (except perhaps the bacon and hard-boiled eggs)? Well, here’s what a contemporary American chef does with the idea of a raw salad. Think layers of peppery arugula, raw fennel, raw chanterelle mushrooms, Parmesan, and a dressing that is created at the very last moment. Everything — flavor, texture, color — depends on the ingredients. So when making this salad at home, be sure to get the freshest market components. The chef uses an inexpensive Japanese mandolin to slice the fennel, mushrooms and Parmesan paper-thin.
Ingredients
- Arugula Leaves - 4 cups, stemmed
- Fennel Bulb - 1, trimmed, halved
- Chanterelle Mushrooms - 4 large, cleaned and trimmed
- Parmesan Cheese - as needed
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Lemons - 2, halved, seeded
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste - to taste
- Sea Salt
Instructions
On each of four chilled salad plates, spread arugula leaves in a layer. Next, using a mandoline set on the finest setting, slice a layer of fresh fennel over the arugula. Next, slice a layer of chanterelles and distribute. Lastly, slice Parmesan for the top layer.
To serve: Drizzle the salad with extra virgin olive oil. Then squeeze over the juice of one-half lemon. Top with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste.
