Lettuce Salad - Without the Bones

When I was at University, studying French, I worked part-time in a little French Bistro called "Le Beauchamp". 

The owner of this establishment, Celine, was a fabulous cook and very particular and quite exacting in her standards and requirements. "Attila the Hen" comes to mind whenever I think of her rampaging her way through the kitchen and the restaurant. She always insisted that I make a physical display of some magnitude by leaping up towards the ceiling to turn on the expel-air whenever anyone lit up a cigarette in the restaurant (it was, of course, the seventies).
She was appalled that their smoke would mask the wonderful fragrances and tastes of her food for the other diners. Ahead of her time indeed!

In spite of her semi-eccentric ways Celine taught me many things about cuisine and food. She never really consciously gave me any of her recipes, as her menu was her "secrete" but I took to arriving earlier and earlier each evening for my shift so I could absorb as much as possible. 

One thing she did instil in me however was how to prepare the humble iceberg lettuce for her "salade".
"Zer ease tew be no bonez Ruse een my salade" 
("There is to be no bones Ruth in my salad") 
Learning to gently shred the lettuce into bite size pieces, whilst leaving out the spine of the leaves, was essential apparently. Something that I had not even considered until that time, but now seems completely normal. 

I also spent quite a bit of time casting surreptitious glances at her large jar of home made dressing that she used on the bowls of lettuce just as she served them up. Celine mixed her dressing up in large quantities but the gist of the recipe I gleaned and then adapted can be made up as you need it in the bowl you will serve it in. 
It's a very simple salad - just iceberg lettuce and freshly chopped parsley with the dressing.  It is so more-ish and light that I could, and indeed have been known to in the past, eat the entire bowl by myself!

Lettuce Salad without the Bones: 

What you will need : 

1 iceberg lettuce - prepared à la Celine (see below) 
1 large bunch of parsley - chopped 
1/2 clove garlic 
Magic ingredient: 1 teaspoon of French Mustard
Extra virgin cold pressed olive oil- about a 1/4 cup 
Red wine vinegar- about 1/2 tablespoon 
Salt and Pepper 
Good sized salad bowl and servers 


Here's How:

First prepare your lettuce. Wash and thoroughly dry the lettuce leaves - this drying step is important as if the leaves are wet the dressing will not coat the leaves and the water will dilute the dressing. 

Gently tear the leaves into bite size pieces making sure you leave aside the spine of each leaf (that's the hard white bit in the middle).

Chop your parsley. 

Next get your large salad bowl and into it put the crushed garlic and the 
Magic Ingredient - the teaspoon of French Mustard 

Taking a kitchen whisk , gently mix these two ingredients together until creamy. 

Little by little add the olive oil, and emulsify it so it is creamy and thick .  

Keep adding the oil and then add a small amount of red wine vinegar - this will have to be by feel as you don't want too much or the dressing will be overwhelmed by the vinegar. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Mix in half of your chopped parsley. 

Your dressing can be left now while you prepare the rest of your meal and the lettuce can be added just before you take the salad to the table. This will preserve the crunch and freshness. 

When ready to serve your salad add the leaves and gently toss by tumbling lightly in the air to coat each individual leaf with the dressing. Take care not to do this too roughly as you don't want to bruise your lettuce. 

Add the remainder of the parsley and serve immediately. 

This salad, I think, is perfect with everything - but especially great when you serve a heavier main dish, as the dressing and the lettuce cut through any richness. 

You can serve this with my previous recipe for Spinach and Mozzarella Pancakes - they work well together. 

Enjoy 

Ruthie Phillips