Via Carota Insalata di Cavoletti
This recipe for a gorgeous Brussels sprouts salad is adapted from Via Carota by Jody Williams and Rita Sodi. Admittedly, it’s a bit labor-intensive: You have to remove as many leaves as you can from each sprout before slicing the centers. But we think it’s well worth it — the salad is as special and perfect as those served at Via Carota, the New York City restaurant that gives the book its name.
Note: Via Carota cookbook calls for aged cheese “such as Castelmango.” Aged Manchego or Parmigiana Reggiano work well, too. To toast walnut pieces, place on a sheet pan and bake them for 5 minutes at 350 degrees, or until just fragrant.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
¾ pound / 340 grams Brussels sprouts
Salt
½ cup Via Carota Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
3 ounces / 85 grams aged cheese, such as Manchego or Parmigiana Reggiano
¾ cup / 75 grams toasted walnut pieces
1 1/2 sweet red apples, such as Galas
1 orange
3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds (from about a quarter of a pomegranate)
Instructions
1. Rinse the Brussels sprouts and discard any wilted outer leaves. Use a paring knife to trim the base of each sprout. Gather any nice leaves that fall while trimming and pull off as many more as you can, trimming a little more off the bottom as you go. When you get to the hard center of each sprout, slice it thinly with a sharp knife.
2. Put all the leaves and slices in a large bowl with a large pinch of salt and 5 tablespoons of vinaigrette, tossing and working the vinaigrette into the Brussels sprouts with your fingers.
3. Use the tip of the paring knife or the tines of a fork to crumble the cheese into small pieces, and add them to the salad, along with the walnuts. Peel and core the apples, slice them, then cut them into thick matchsticks and add half of them to the salad. Finely zest the orange directly over the bowl, then toss everything together. Let the salad settle for about 10 minutes. Add more vinaigrette and salt to taste and pile the remaining apple sticks and the pomegranate seeds on top.
Via Carota Vinaigrette
Note: This makes about twice what you’ll need for four salads, but it keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days — a quick way to make any salad special.
Ingredients
¼ cup tablespoons very finely chopped shallot (about 4 medium shallots)
1 garlic clove, finely grated (about ½ teaspoon)
¾ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
6 stems fresh thyme
¼ cup / 60 ml aged sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons warm water
¾ cup / 180 ml extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
Place the shallots in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse with cold water. Drain them and transfer to a small bowl with the garlic, sugar and salt. Strip the thyme leaves off the stems and finely chop the leaves (for about 1 teaspoon thyme); stir into the bowl. Stir in the vinegar and water. Pour the olive oil into the bowl in a slow stream, whisking all the while emulsified.
Via Carota Insalata di Cavoletti
Ingredients
- ¾ pound / 340 grams Brussels sprouts
- Salt
- ½ cup Via Carota Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
- 3 ounces / 85 grams aged cheese, such as Manchego or Parmigiana Reggiano
- ¾ cup / 75 grams toasted walnut pieces
- 1 1/2 sweet red apples, such as Galas
- 1 orange
- 3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds (from about a quarter of a pomegranate)
- ¼ cup tablespoons very finely chopped shallot (about 4 medium shallots)
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated (about ½ teaspoon)
- ¾ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 stems fresh thyme
- ¼ cup / 60 ml aged sherry vinegar
- 2 teaspoons warm water
- ¾ cup / 180 ml extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse the Brussels sprouts and discard any wilted outer leaves. Use a paring knife to trim the base of each sprout. Gather any nice leaves that fall while trimming and pull off as many more as you can, trimming a little more off the bottom as you go. When you get to the hard center of each sprout, slice it thinly with a sharp knife.
- Put all the leaves and slices in a large bowl with a large pinch of salt and 5 tablespoons of vinaigrette, tossing and working the vinaigrette into the Brussels sprouts with your fingers.
- Use the tip of the paring knife or the tines of a fork to crumble the cheese into small pieces, and add them to the salad, along with the walnuts. Peel and core the apples, slice them, then cut them into thick matchsticks and add half of them to the salad. Finely zest the orange directly over the bowl, then toss everything together. Let the salad settle for about 10 minutes. Add more vinaigrette and salt to taste and pile the remaining apple sticks and the pomegranate seeds on top.
- Place the shallots in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse with cold water. Drain them and transfer to a small bowl with the garlic, sugar and salt. Strip the thyme leaves off the stems and finely chop the leaves (for about 1 teaspoon thyme); stir into the bowl. Stir in the vinegar and water. Pour the olive oil into the bowl in a slow stream, whisking all the while emulsified.
