Salad of Bitter Greens, Tesa, Walnuts and Parmagiano

Salad of Bitter Greens,
Tesa, Walnuts and Parmagiano

For 8

4 tablespoons young condimento balsamico
1 ounce shallots, finely diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces Tesa (page 202 of book) or Italian pancetta, sliced thin
and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 to 10 ounces mixed bitter greens (dandelion, radicchio, green chicory,
arugula, young escarole, or blanched frisée)
4 ounces walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
Chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano for cutting into shards

To make the vinaigrette, combine the vinegar, shallots, and salt in a bowl and allow the shallots to macerate for at least 5 minutes. Meanwhile warm a sauté pan, add the Tesa or pancetta, and render it over medium heat for a few minutes so that it remains soft and only slightly browned at its edges. Transfer the Tesa to a warm plate lined with a paper towel, and reserve a few spoonfuls of the renderings. Whisk the extra-virgin olive oil and the renderings into the vinaigrette. Place the salad greens in a large bowl. Add the Tesa and the walnuts and dress with the vinaigrette. Toss gently until the greens are well coated. Divide the salad among 8 room temperature plates, distributing Tesa and walnuts equally. Using a microplane grater with a wide blade or a vegetable peeler, shave Parmigiano as thin as possible directly onto each portion so that each is well covered.

Buy the Book!

from:
Cooking by Hand
by Paul Bertolli
Clarkson Potter
Hardcover, $40.00, 288 pages
ISBN: 0-609-60893-2
Recipe reprinted by permission