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Lettuce Medley with Crispy Shallots

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time26 minutes
Total Time46 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: butter lettuce, crispy shallots, extra virgin olive oil, frisee lettuce, gluten free, lettuce, maple syrup, radicchio, red wine vinegar, Salad, salad dressing, shallots, vinaigrette
Servings: 10 people
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

Vinaigrette

  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (honey could be swapped for the maple syrup)
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Crispy Shallots

  • 4-5 large shallots thinly sliced into rings
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • pinch of kosher salt

Salad

  • 1 large head frisée leaves torn apart, rinsed and dried
  • 1 large head radicchio (select the heaviest one, if possible) cut off bottom core to make separating leaves easier. Then rinse and dry
  • 1 package butter lettuce pre-washed if available

Instructions

Vinaigrette

  • Combine ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder in a small glass jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid. Screw on lid or cover tightly and shake until emulsified. The ingredients can also be placed in a bowl and vigorously whisked together.
  • Do ahead: Vinaigrette can be made ahead. Keep covered and refrigerated for up to one month.

Crispy Shallots

  • Add sliced shallots to olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. After oil starts to bubble (around 5 minutes or so), reduce heat to medium-low or low (it’s important to allow the shallots to brown slowly) and continue cooking shallots for 18 minutes, occasionally stirring. The final browning and crisping happen fast so keep a close eye on the shallots while they cook for the last 2-3 minutes. The shallots are done once they are golden brown and crispy. Carefully remove the shallots from the pan with a fork or wire mesh strainer and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with kosher salt while still warm.

Salad

  • Select lettuce types that have a variety of texture, color, and shape. I picked the radicchio and frisée because they are hardy and hold the vinaigrette perfectly. (Radicchio is part of the chicory family and runs slightly on the bitter-side. To reduce the bitterness, American’s Test Kitchen recommends soaking the leaves in cold water for 30 minutes. But if radicchio isn’t your thing, substitute a red leaf lettuce such as red leaf baby romaine.) Before serving, place approximately 3/4 of the vinaigrette in the bottom of a large bowl and place the lettuces on top of the vinaigrette. Use tongs to gently combine the dressing and lettuces.
  • Transfer salad to a large bowl or platter. Add more dressing, salt and pepper, if necessary, and scatter crispy shallots on top right before serving (to avoid sogginess).

Notes

Endive, Mâche, and/or Watercress are other good lettuce choices.
If you can find gluten free crispy onion pieces, they would be a good substitute and shortcut for the crispy shallot toppers. During the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, Whole Foods Market usually sells this item.
Tomatoes, red onion, crispy quinoa, pomegranate seeds, crumbled cheese, toasted or candied nuts and many other goodies would be delicious in this salad if you feel so inclined.