Just two ingredients people, it's not that hard!
I've lost count of how many times I've ordered a salad that arrived completely undressed. It's happened in all sorts of places, from the fairly posh Hilton hotel in Budapest to a kebab shop and everything in between. A salad served without the faintest hint of oil, vinegar or lemon is quite frankly depressing and it pisses me off! Because it actually doesn't require a lot of extra effort and it won't break the bank either - it's just thoughtless and lazy and a blatant disrespect towards the salad and its consumer.
An undressed salad surely must feel naked and embarrassed and that makes me feel uncomfortable. I mean really? Who enjoys eating a dry salad? I'm sure in some parts of the world, for example Italy, France and Greece it would be simply unheard of to serve salad without a dressing. And I'm not talking about carefully measured out ratios of first pressed virgin oils expertly whisked together with aged balsamic from Modena. No. I'm talking about a good splash of oil and a good squeeze of lemon. That's it! Two ingredients. It's that simple. And, in any order. I've tried both and the results are always the same.
A delicious Greek salad I ate recently with lashings of olive oil and a generous squeeze of lemon
Oh, and if it's not too much trouble then a sprinkle of salt and a grind of pepper will take it to the next level - for me this is a must! Then all you have to do is give it a good toss, this is a crucial step and one that is often overlooked. A good toss brings it all together and after all who doesn't like a good toss? Herbs or mustard, honey or garlic are fancy optional extras, but often a simple oil and lemon dressing is all that's needed.
Lovely flaky pink salt, beautiful to look at and an important addition to any salad
But sadly, so many people haven't yet discovered the simplicity and the exquisite flavour combination of lemon and oil and time and again they rely on shop bought salad dressings. Two extremely popular ones are the French and the Italian dressings - quite the insult to the French and the Italians I imagine! These have a few strange ingredients and a slightly gelatinous consistency and some have a hazy appearance. This is not what should anoint a lovely fresh salad!
Praise??? Lets not! It's time to move on from these manufactured watered-down sugary dressings
Mostly however it's the humble little side salad that gets ignored the most - an essential component of many meals in my opinion! Many dishes need a fresh sidekick, something crispy and zingy, just that little bit of acidity to cut through and compliment richer or heavier foods. I often judge a restaurant or cafe based on their side salads, it shows the level of care and attention and more importantly, an understanding of balancing food. So when my side salad arrives undressed, unseasoned and un-tossed, it sure leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
I was most impressed when the tiniest side salad arrived at the Prairie Hotel in an outback Australian restaurant, was perfectly seasoned, dressed and tossed!
