Chicken And Escarole Salad With Anchovy Croutons Food

CHICKEN AND ESCAROLE SALAD WITH ANCHOVY CROUTONS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium-high heat.
• Add chicken, skin-side down, and cook without moving until the pieces are golden brown and crispy, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue to cook until well browned on the other side, another 5 to 8 minutes.
• Move the chicken to one side of the skillet and tilt the skillet a little so that the fat and drippings pool on one side. Add the anchovies and let them sizzle a bit to melt down. Add the croutons, along with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss them to coat in the anchovy-chicken fat.
• Place the skillet in the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through and croutons are golden brown and crispy, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk the grated garlic, lemon juice and soy sauce in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• Place escarole and parsley in a large bowl or on a platter and dress with lemon-garlic mixture. Season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice if you like. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and shave some pecorino over the whole thing.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest a minute or two. Cut the meat off the bone and thinly slice. Place on top of the salad, along with the croutons. Top each serving with an egg yolk, if using, and more anchovies, if you like.

ESCAROLE SALAD WITH ANCHOVY VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• For the croutons: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F; position an oven rack in the middle of the oven.
• In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool. (The croutons will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)
• For the escarole: Preheat a grill on medium heat.
• Cut the escarole head in half, then wash and dry. Grill the escarole cut-side down to give it a little char, about 3 minutes. (Do not flip and cook the other side. We are looking for just some of the escarole to be charred.) Set aside and let cool.
• For the warm anchovy vinaigrette: In a small saucepot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over low heat until shimmering. Add the shallots and anchovies and cook, stirring, until the shallots have softened and the anchovies fall apart and dissolve in the oil, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the red pepper flakes. Add the vinegar and cook, stirring, until it has reduced slightly, about 1 minute. Whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons oil.
• Cut the escarole into 1-inch pieces and put in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette and croutons and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

ESCAROLE SALAD WITH ANCHOVY DRESSING

Steps:

• Prepare the salad: Put the eggs in a saucepan; cover with cold water by 2 inches. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook 8 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water with a slotted spoon, then drain, peel and roughly chop.
• Heat 1/4 inch olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread cubes and fry, turning with a slotted spoon, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer the croutons to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Discard the outer layer of leaves from the escarole. Separate the remaining leaves and coarsely chop. Toss with the croutons in a large bowl.
• Make the dressing: Put the lemon juice, orange juice, vinegar, olive oil, garlic and anchovies in a small covered container; shake well. Toss with the salad. Divide among plates, top with the hard-boiled eggs and season with salt and pepper.

ESCAROLE SALAD WITH LEMON-AND-ANCHOVY DRESSING

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, peel lemon zest in long strips. With a very sharp knife, slice strips into a fine julienne. Squeeze 1 tablespoon juice.
• In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, garlic, anchovies, and mustard. Slowly whisk in oil in a steady stream until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
• Combine zest, escarole, and olives in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons dressing; toss to combine. Add more dressing as desired; serve. (Extra dressing can be stored in refrigerator up to 2 days.)

SPRING SALAD WITH CRISPY CHICKEN AND BACONY CROUTONS

Steps:

• Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 475ºF. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Using kitchen shears, remove bones, keeping skin and flesh intact; discard bones. Season chicken all over with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
• Heat a medium cast-iron or heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high until hot but not smoking. Sear chicken skin side down, undisturbed, 2 minutes. Continue to cook, turning occasionally, until fat renders and skin is golden brown, 4-6 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate. Carefully pour off all but 2 tsp. fat and wipe off any fat that drips onto side or bottom of skillet. Return chicken to skillet skin side up. Transfer to oven and roast chicken, tenting skillet with foil if skin becomes too dark halfway through, until skin crisps and meat is cooked through, 8-12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until just crispy, 4-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a large heatproof bowl. Pour off all but 2 Tbsp. fat. Heat fat in skillet over medium. Add bread in an even layer, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook, turning pieces occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat; add 1 Tbsp. vinegar and toss until absorbed. Let cool a few minutes, then taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer croutons to bowl with bacon.
• Remove chicken from oven and transfer to a plate; reserve skillet with fat and pan drippings. Let chicken cool 5-10 minutes, then cut into 1" pieces.
• Cook shallot, peas, 1/8 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper in reserved skillet over medium-low heat, stirring, until shallots are softened and peas are cooked, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in oil and remaining 2 Tbsp. vinegar (mixture will bubble) with a heatproof spatula. (If you want to ensure bright green peas, cook them separately in a small saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave and sprinkle over top of salad after plating.)
• Add escarole, fennel, and radishes to bowl with bacon and croutons. Pour warm dressing over. Toss to combine and slightly wilt greens.
• Mound salad among plates; nestle in chicken pieces. Top with mint. Serve immediately.

ESCAROLE SALAD WITH SMOKY HALLOUMI CROUTONS

Steps:

• Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, lemon juice and salt. Let sit for 30 seconds for the salt to dissolve, then whisk in olive oil. Taste and add more salt if needed. Set aside.
• Prepare the salad: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high until it thins out, about 20 seconds. Add cheese and cook until golden on one side, 1 to 2 minutes, adding more oil if the pan dries out. Flip cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Let cook without moving until golden on the other side, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Put escarole, parsley and shallot in a large salad bowl. Add the dressing and warm halloumi, and toss well, adding more oil, lemon juice and salt, to taste. Serve immediately, strewn with pomegranate seeds, if you like.

SICILIAN ESCAROLE SALAD

Steps:

• Add Wine vinegar to bottom of bowl.
• Peel garlic, and using a garlic press, add garlic to vinegar and allow to sit at least 10 minutes. (Alternatively, if you don't have a garlic press, mince garlic finely and then sprinkle with salt and rub the side of your knife across it to crush garlic to a fine paste, then add to vinegar as above.) Stir pepper, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes into vinegar. Add chopped onion, stir to mix together.
• Wash and thoroughly dry the escarole and separate the leaves, tearing them into 1-2 inch pieces. Add to vinegar and garlic, chop the cucumber into one inch pieces and season with black pepper.
• If using the optional anchovies, break them into sections and add to the olive oil. Otherwise, pour olive oil over salad, sprinkle with salt and mix gently but thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Escarole salad can be easily varied to suit the ingredients that you have available, or what's seasonal at the market. But remember, it's best kept rather simple, with not too many ingredients.
• This can be topped with Parmesan croutons or served with [bruschetta]. When in season, optionally add fresh ripe tomato slices and use chopped fresh basil and oregano. Another nice addition is roasted red peppers. Or add 2" X 1/2" slices of salami, mortadella or a sharp Italian cheese such as Asiago or Provolone. Or add a can of cannelloni beans (drained), or a can of Italian Tonno (tuna) packed in olive oil.
• Note: When using anchovies, adjust salt, as anchovies can be very salty depending on how they're packed.