Secret Sauce

Spring Salad by LaLou

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From LaLou chef Jay Wolman:

Mother’s Day falls in my favorite season, an absolutely wonderful time to cook with the best local produce. Spring brings amazing options for gorgeous salads, and any time of year, my mom always gravitates towards vegetables. I love thinking about her enjoying this, and commenting how fresh and green it is with each bite.

 

Ingredients

Dressing

3 egg yolks

1 cup olive oil

1 cup tarragon, picked from stems

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 clove of garlic, grated

Pinch of salt

Splash of water

 

Salad 

1 head of little gem lettuce

3 asparagus stalks, sliced thinly at a bias 

1 cup of fava beans, shucked from their pods

½ cup sugar snap peas, slice thinly at a bias 

1 spring onion, sliced thinly at a bias

Handful of mint leaves

Pinch of salt

Olive oil, to finish

 

Instructions

To make the dressing, combine all ingredients into a blender. Blend long enough to ensure all of the tarragon has been blended finely. You should be looking at a nice light green color with speckles running through it. The dressing should be a creamy consistency, enough to coat the back of the spoon. Add a bit more water if you want to to be looser. 

Prepare an ice bath and bring a pot of salted water to boil. When boiling, add the fava beans and cook for 45 to 60 seconds. Immediately strain and get into iced water. Once cool, peel the outer layer and discard. Reserve the beans. 

In a large bowl, combine all produce except the mint leaves. Add spoonfuls of dressing to the sides of the bowl. Mix properly, making sure the little gems are nicely coated in dressing. Plate the salad in layers, making sure all the peas, fava beans and asparagus stalks get evenly distributed throughout the salad. Finish with a few torn mint leaves, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil.