Sautéed Bibb Salad with Gorgonzola

A warm salad usually consists of either a warm dressing tossed with the cold greens to slightly wilt them, or a cold salad with a warmer hot component such as grilled meat, fish or vegetables. At Sub Rosa, we've turned this on it's head a little.

The cooking process for this Boston salad is a bit different; you quickly sauté the wedges of lettuce to wilt the outside and keep a bit of crunch on the inside. This gives the Boston lettuce an almost sweet and rich taste, which beautifully plays off the saltiness of the Gorgonzola. The roasted hazelnuts add a nutty earthy counterpoint to the vinegar

The only drawback with this salad is that it has to be made at the last minute and served immediately. But with such easy preparation, that should be a snap.

Here's what you do:

Heat large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season lettuce with salt and pepper. Mix the two oils and add 1/2 of the mixture to pan. Add lettuce and sauté 1 to 2 minutes per side (until half wilted). Remove and divide lettuce among 4 oven-proof plates. Place 2 ounces of Gorgonzola on each plate next to lettuce.

Place plates in oven 2 minutes until cheese is soft but not melting. Remove plates from oven. Add remaining oil to same pan and sauté hazelnuts 1 minute. Season hazelnuts with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat and add sherry vinegar. Divide hazelnuts and dressing over lettuce and serve warm. Makes 4 servings.

Note: We've thrown a handfull of dried cranberries into some brandy to plump them up and added them to this recipe with good results.

Inspired by: Sandy D'Amato - Sanford Restaurant and my celebrity chef - Linda Lausmann

Sub Rosa Recipes