Learn the secrets of how to make a great salad – it’s simple
When the weather is warm and the sun is shining, what could be nicer to eat than a salad? Here are my top tips on how to make salads:
- Texture – when it comes to making a salad interesting, texture is so important. In my Waldorf Salad, you’ll see that I add texture both by adding walnuts and also by the way I finely chop the celery and the apples. Vegetables offer a great range of textures, from soft tomatoes to crisp fennel or crunchy lettuce. Have fun combining these textures.
- Colour – we eat with our eyes and a dish that looks good as well as tasting good is always a pleasure. I like to add contrasting colours in my dishes – white feta, red tomato and green cucumber in a classic Greek salad, for example.
- Flavour – when I’m combining ingredients for salads, I choose flavours that go well together. Classic combinations like tomato and basil, watercress and almonds, fennel and orange are hard to beat. One great way of adding an extra layer of flavour to your salad is by simply adding a handful of fresh herbs, from flat-leafed parsley sprigs to finely chopped chives.
- Dressings – olive oil is now widely available in supermarkets and does make a great mellow-flavoured salad dressing. You might want to experiment with British rapeseed oil or cobnut oil, which has a great nutty flavour. Add vinegar or lemon juice as you want, with three to one being the classic ratio of oil to vinegar.
- Preparation – taking that little extra trouble as you prepare a dish makes all the difference. Salad leaves, for example, should be washed well and then, very important, dried thoroughly, either by using a salad dryer or patting them dry. Always add your dressing just before serving the salad. If you add dressing too far in advance, your salad will become sodden and sad, and we don’t want that!
