Salad of Shaved Fresh Brussels Sprouts with Marcona Almonds and Pecorino Romano

1. Soups, Salads & Pasta

Ingredients

Vinaigrette:
3 lemons, preferably Meyer lemons
2 small navel oranges
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups olive oil

Salad:
8 large eggs
7 dozen (about 10 cups) Brussels sprouts
1 cup Marcona almonds, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated Pecorino-Romano

Methods/Steps

Prep 1 Lemon and 1 Orange: Cut off and discard the stem ends of 1 lemon and 1 orange. Cut the stemmed fruit (peel on) into quarters and cut out the white core. Remove any seeds that you see and discard. Place the fruit quarters into the blender.

Make Vinaigrette: Squeeze all the juice from the remaining lemons and orange and add the juice to the blender. Add the shallot, vinegar, salt and pepper. Blend until the mixture is as smooth as possible. With the machine running, add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream. The dressing should be thick, almost like mayonnaise in consistency. If it’s too thick, thin it by adding a little hot water while the machine is running. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer vinaigrette to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until service.

Boil Eggs: Gently place eggs in a large pot. Add water to cover. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer gently for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Drain and gently crack eggs while running under cold water.

Sieve Eggs: Peel eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Push through a large hole sieve into a large salad bowl. Alternatively, chop eggs with a knife.

Slice Brussels Sprouts: Working in batches, slice the stem off each sprout and feed them through the shredding blade of a food processor. Transfer shredded sprouts into the large bowl with the eggs. Roughly chop the almonds and add them to the bowl as well. Grate the cheese and set it aside for garnish later.

Serve: Add the vinaigrette to the bowl and toss. Lay out all of the salad plates in a single layer. Divide the salad among the plates. Top with Pecorino. Wipe plate rim and serve.

Recipe adapted by Parties That Cook® from Bottega.

Serves/Makes

Serves 16 - 20