SALADS

Salads come from the Latin word- HERBA SALATA meaning salted greens. Lot

of innovations and ingredients were added to the salads in the 17th

century

Lettuce of various types, were used as a base.

Meat, poultry, mixed vegetables were placed on top

Oil and vinegar was used as the dressing

Lot more ingredients found their way into the salads such as grapes,

beans, fruit, rice, flowers, grains and legumes.

SALADS is an item of great importance and it should be

1. NUTRITIONALLY BALANCED

2. ATTRACTIVELY DISPLAYED

3. REFRESHING

4. STIMULATING TO THE APPETITE

PRE- REQUISITES of a good salad –

FRESHEST INGREDIENTS TO BE USED

ATTRACTIVE PLATING

SHOULD HAVE CRISP TEXTURE

SHOULD HAVE EYE APPEAL

SHOULD HAVE WELL BALANCED FLAVORS

RULES OF THUMB TO BE FOLLOWED WHILE MAKING SALAD –

1. Use freshest of ingredients and those that are in season

2. The vegetables used should be light in digestion and leafy greens should be crisp

3. The ingredients should be blemish free

4. Most of the salads should be dressed or marinated just before service.

5. stronger flavored vegetables should be dressed one day in advance

6. Serve cold salads in cold dish

7. Never over crowd the plate and stay within the well of the plate.

SALADS IN A MENU CAN BE SERVED AS –

Appetizers

Entrée

Accompaniments

Garnish

Dessert

COMPOSITION OF A SALAD

A salad has FOUR basic parts-

1. BASE- this acts as an underlining for the salad

2. BODY- This has the main ingredients of a salad

3. DRESSING- Dressing enhances the flavor and taste. The salad can be tossed

in the dressing or it can be served as an accompaniment as a dip sauce.

4. GARNISH- Adds form, color, texture, eye appeal. The garnish should

always complement the salad.

TYPES OF SALADS

SIMPLE SALAD – Is a variety of one or more green or ingredients with

a mild dressing – example , tossed iceberg lettuce and romaine lettuce

in French Dressing

MIXED SALADS- Cooked assorted cooked or raw vegetables, meats,

seafood or a combination which is either marinated or dressed.

COMBINATION SALADS- The different ingredients dressed differently

are served in the same platter. Example Chef Salad – tossed salad, turkey breast julienne, ham slices, Swiss cheese julienne, hard boiled eggs all with different appropriate dressings.

SELECTION AND PRESENTATION OF THE SALAD

The SALAD INGREDIENTS should be according to the whole menu

The ingredients selected should match to each other

The ingredients should be balancing each other in flavor, color, texture, nutrition,

size. The tastes should be compliment each other and should not overpower.

LAYOUT OF THE SALAD

The SALAD SHOULD BE PRESENTED TO LOOK AS A WORK OF ART!

The salad should have a FOCAL POINT (is what the eyes sees first)

which should be the main ingredient.

The salad layout should have a flow pleasing to the eye

The layout should not be over busy or confused

It should be elegantly simple

Use a proper sized plate or a platter or a bowl for the presentation

The salad should not be placed on the rim of the plate.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF SALADS-

1. VEGETABLE SALADS

GREENS WITH FRESH VEGETABLES – tossed salads, Caesar

salad, spinach salad

MARINATED VEGETABLE SALADS- Cole slaw. Carrot and

raisin salad, Three-bean salad, German potato salad

METHOD OF PREPARATION AND SERVICE

The preparation of the vegetable salads begins with purchasing of garden fresh vegetables, proper transportation, receiving, storage and handling of the fresh vegetables, canned goods

The ingredients should be closely checked for quality – they should be fresh and crisp

Before using all vegetables should be thoroughly washed under cold

running water. This removes the dirt and also rejuvenates the vegetables Drying the vegetables after washing is most important. The

dressings will evenly coat greens only when they are dry.

An optional method is to salt the greens to drain any extra moisture, but this

should be done for the shortest time possible otherwise the greens will wilt. Mushrooms require special attention in salad preparation. They are very

porous. They should be washed under cold running water, in a colander

and dried immediately. They should never be allowed to stand in water as

they will soak water like a sponge. When slicing mushrooms, they should

be quickly dipped in an acid to keep them from discoloration. Vegetables come in various shapes and sizes. They can be cut into

any desired shape. The rule for vegetable salad is to cut them into bite size pieces. They can also be shredded or julienned.

Most of the salad leaves should be torn by hand to give it a natural appearance.

Canned, pickled and even frozen vegetables can be put to good use in the vegetable salads.

Soft vegetables and lettuce leaves are very thin and porous. Their faint and

delicate taste is easily ruined by an excess of dressing. Dressings have high

content of salt and acids. They can breakdown the cell structure and crispness

of the greens. Salt draws out of moisture and then the vegetables absorb oil Too much dressing or dressing added too far before service will

result in the same soggy wilted effect. Majority of the salads should be served cold and must be handled

properly to protect the crisp fresh flavor of its components.

TIPS ON SALAD MAKING-

1. Salads using greens should have a light oil and acid type dressing.

2. It is always good to mix several types of greens together for a variety of

color and texture.

3. When cheese, nuts or dried fruit are added to greens they should be added in

small amounts to complement and not dominate the taste of the greens.

4. Using stronger tasting vegetables, allow the use of broader base of

stronger dressing.

HANDLING AND STORAGE

Salad greens can be stored, after preparation for only short periods of time.

Ideally they should be stored in plastic containers with tight fitting

lids, in order to maintain the humidity or to absorb the flavors.

Marinated salads should be stored in their marinade, under refrigeration.

Cooked vegetables can be stored in their marinade for only short

period of time, under refrigeration, as otherwise they become mushy.

Salads can be held pre-plated on chilled plates covered with a plastic wrap.

PASTA SALADS

They have grown in popularity as an appetizer, accompaniment to a main

course and as an entrée.

METHOD OF PREPARATION

The use of pasta as the primary ingredient in a salad is similar to the

manner in which lettuce is used.

The delicate taste and texture of pasta allows it to mix with a wide variety

of other ingredients.

Dressings, meats and vegetables nest very nicely in the folds and

crevices of the various pasta shapes.

Dressing is very important in preparing pasts salads. They should be just enough

to evenly coat the pasta and none should be left standing in the salad bowl

For maximum favor, pasta salads should not be served right out of the

refrigerator. When very cold their flavors are subdued and the texture is sticky.

Fresh herbs, spices and other flavor enhancers such as garlic and onions

should be mixed directly with the pasta.

More hardy foods such as raw vegetables, meats and seafood should be tossed

with the pasta before adding delicate foods such as cooked vegetables.

Pasta is available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes the smaller

shapes are best for buffet layout where the guests help themselves.

Pasta shapes are often associated with the themes for meals –

Shells are often used with seafood

Wagon wheels for western menus

Orzo for Cajun menus, because of its rice shape

Linguini and long strands are used with broccoli and cauliflower.

Pastas are high in carbohydrates and low in fat. If combined with low

fat and high proteins, then they can give a wholesome meal.

HANDLING AND STORAGE

1. Pasta salads should be made ahead of time to allow the flavors to

develop and meld together.

2. They should be stored at 32-38 degrees F in plastic, air tight containers

3. They can be refrigerated for 2-3 days.

4. Pasta salads can also be stored as individual parts which can be

combined just before service.

RICE SALADS

The basic guidelines for pasta salads also apply equally o the rice salads. The

key point in the preparation of the rice salads is the basic texture of the rice.

Rice which has a sticky texture will result in a salad which has a

congealed consistency when served.

Best rice salads are made from the long grained, polished rice. Each

grain should be plump and soft but not sticky.

Rice should always be cooked al dante.

Rice may also be cooked in stock to enhance its flavor.

LEGUME SALADS

Legumes, beans and peas have long been used as a body of a variety of salads.

The doneness of the legumes is very important.

The eye appeal of the salad depends heavily on the shape and the

color of the legumes.

They should be used whole and not in pieces.

They too should be cooked al dante and they should not fall apart to

avoid the mushy looks.

They can be combined with both mild and strong flavoring agents.

Onions add spark to their flavor.

The texture of the beans should be complemented by items which are

crisp and crunchy such as celery and salad greens.

Dressings may vary from heavier mayonnaise types or basic vinaigrette

Legumes of all types can be used – kidney beans, peas , red beans, wax

beans and green beans , black beans etc.

MEAT AND POULTRY SALADS

They can be used as an appetizer, salad course or as an entrée.

Any type of meats can be used. Even raw beef or lamb is used in the

preparation of Carpaccio

Organ or varietal meats such as tongue and sweetbreads as well as

sausages are a good choice for use in the salads.

Salads can also be made from any left over meats

Tough cuts of meats can be braised and used for the salads.

When using sausages, it is best to remove the outer casing and slice the sausages.

Basic French dressing blended with a vegetable puree is an

interesting way to dress the meat salad.

Another variation is the addition of fruit purees such as mango,

raspberry or orange.

HANDLING AND STORAGE

1. They are high protein foods and require constant refrigeration

2. Meat salads be stored at 32-38 degrees F

3. They should be stored in airtight containers to prevent

contamination and dehydration.

SEAFOOD SALADS

The wide range if fish and shellfish available

make the possible combinations endless.

Salads are prepared from small, whole or

broken product

Even raw fish and shellfish can be used after marinating them in acids

HANDLING AND STORAGE

1. Seafood is a potentially hazardous food and should be handled safely.

2. In raw state it has a very short life and must be refrigerated at

every step throughout its handling.

3. Store between 32-36 degrees F. in airtight containers.

FRUIT SALADS

They are, refreshing alternatives to other types of salads.

They range from the simple presentation of sliced fresh or formed fresh

fruit with an appropriate dressing to mixed type salads.