Rustic Broccolini Salad
Broccolini, Bacon and Bread
Ingredients
- Broccolini
- Bacon
- Bread
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Macerated shallot vinaigrette
- Garnish: pansies and violets
- Macerated shallot vinaigrette: 1 large shallot, 4 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, Salt and cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Make the macerated shallow vinaigrette: finely chop the shallot, and add it to a mason jar. Cover the shallot with 4 tablespoons of seasoned rice vinegar, and allow it to sit for at least 20 minutes or a couple of hours. Add 1/2 cup of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and pepper to taste. Stir.
- Cook the bacon and then place it on a plate covered in paper towels to absorb excess grease. When the bacon has cooled, chop into large 1-2 inch pieces.
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut the broccolini into 2-inch pieces and set aside on a baking sheet. Crush or mince 2 cloves of garlic into 4 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Take a basting brush and lightly cover the broccolini in the seasoned garlic oil. Toss to make sure everything is coated. Bake for 7-10 minutes. The broccolini should still be a bright vibrant green color. However, a little charring on the ends is encouraged.
- Tear your bread into big bite-size pieces and toss with the rest of the garlic oil. Toast the bread in a skillet until the sides are golden brown.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the ingredients and toss. This is served as a warm broccolini salad.
- Garnish with fresh flowers.
Notes
Ingredient notes:
Broccolini- I purchased my broccolini in bundles from the grocery store. I used 5 bundles. Wash and dry the broccolini before use. Cook the broccolini at a higher temperature to encourage some charring or browning on the end fringe, while the broccolini doesn’t get overcooked and too soft. How you can tell the degree of cooking by observing the color, you want the broccolini to remain bright and vibrant green in color.
Bacon- I bought a nice butcher-made, thick-cut bacon for this recipe and highly recommend getting nice quality meat, as it is a big player in the flavor profile.
Bread- Buy a nice quality fresh bread such as a rustic loaf of sourdough, Italian, or French bread. You will tear it up into big bite-size pieces and toast it with some
Notes:
-The concept for this salad is a take on a traditional bread salad called panzanella. The proportion of bread is large in quantity compared to the typical use of croutons sprinkled on top. Another key concept for this bread salad is that there is a heavy-handed use of a sauce or vinaigrette which is designed to be soaked up by the bread causing a soft, moist, and flavor packed bite.
garlicky olive oil.
Vinaigrette- The seasoned rice vinegar used, is pre-seasoned with sugar and salt.