Salade des Lords
A light, fresh salad of butterhead lettuce, orange slices and crunchy nuts in a creamy crème fraîche dressing. Ideal as a starter or as a light dish on warm days.
Serves: 4
Preparation: approx. 15 minutes
Cooking: approx. 0 minutes
Total time: approx. 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 butterhead lettuce
- 2 oranges
- 8 walnut halves
- 8 almonds
- 3 tablespoons crème fraîche
- 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon mild olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- Separate the leaves from the lettuce.
- Wash the lettuce in cold water and spin or pat dry well.
- Tear large leaves into bite-sized pieces.
- Scrub the oranges under warm water and dry them.
- Using a citrus zester or a sharp knife, cut thin strips of the orange zest from one orange, without taking any of the white pith, and keep the strips for garnish.
- Then peel both oranges thickly, removing the white pith as well.
- Slice the flesh into thin rounds and catch any juice if needed.
- Roughly chop the walnut halves and almonds.
Method
- Toast the nuts
Toast the roughly chopped walnut halves and almonds in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat until lightly coloured and fragrant. Leave to cool slightly. - Make the crème fraîche and nut mixture
Put the crème fraîche in a bowl. Squeeze the lemon and first add the juice of about half a lemon, and optionally a tablespoon of the reserved orange juice. Stir into a creamy, slightly pourable sauce. Add the toasted nuts and mix well. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add a little more lemon juice if needed, so the dressing is fresh but not sharp. - Dress the lettuce
Put the lettuce in a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and a small pinch of salt. Gently toss the lettuce so all the leaves are lightly coated with oil. - Assemble the salad and serve
Divide the dressed lettuce between 4 plates. Spoon small mounds of the crème fraîche and nut mixture over the lettuce. Arrange the orange slices decoratively on and around the lettuce. Garnish with the strips of orange zest. If you like, grind a little extra black pepper over the plates. Serve the Salade des Lords straight away, so the lettuce stays crisp and the orange slices remain nicely fresh and juicy.
