SERIES: salads and modena salad
One of my first posts was dedicated to vinaigrettes. It walked through a guide on how you can freestyle vinaigrettes once you understand the relationship between the ingredients and what role each ingredient plays (i.e. acid, emulsifier, fat, etc.). In that guide, I provided balsamic vinaigrette to pair with steak, delicata, and goat cheese and called it Modena because of the use of balsamic vinegar. Anthony Bourdain opened the world of balsamic vinegars to me through one of his episodes of No Reservations in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. If you haven’t seen this and have any remote inkling toward the craft of food, bread, wine, etc. you should go watch it. It will blow your mind. In Modena, a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, balsamic vinegar is treated with as much (maybe more) respect and dedication to craft as wine is in some of the top wine growing regions around the world. They age balsamic vinegars for 25 years in wood barrels. There’s a viscosity that comes with a true, pure, aged balsamic vinegar that we don’t get in your run of the mill balsamic, and it isn’t a balsamic glaze created by adding sugar and reducing. Although the glazes are delicious, this is not that. They take it so far, that it’s common practice among the producers of these vinegars to start the aging process on a new barrel of vinegar when a baby is born so that they can serve the balsamic at their wedding. Unbelievable. Balsamic is an heirloom in Modena. One day, I will save up my pennies and splurge on a top shelf balsamic. It’ll be worth every penny after watching the time and effort these purveyors put into their vinegars.
Balsamic is a vinegar to explore. There are so many things that can be done with it to enhance and build incredible flavor, especially in red meat and vegetables. I’m inspired to explore what is possible.
This salad is a wonderful combination of truly Fall flavors. Delicata squash is my absolute favorite. You can eat the skin on it, which makes it more beautiful to prepare and plate in addition to making it easier to prepare. It’s small, and in a shape that you can slice into a reasonable size. And the combination of the structure that the skin provides and the reasonable size and shape of slicing, set it apart from the uniform color and lack of structure that other squashes have when serving in a salad or as a side. Roasted hazelnuts and a taste of Fall flavor, and the steak and balsamic lend themselves to the heavier flavors of Fall and Winter in comparison to a lemon or champagne vinegar-based salad that is closer representation of Summer. So, here’s to a Fall salad in the Summer salad series! Apologies in advance as delicata was not available this summer which led me to the acorn as a substitute. Expect updated pictures on this post before the Fall season is over.
modena steak salad
This is a wonderful, Fall salad finished with a delicious creamy balsamic vinaigrette!
Ingredients
SALAD
- Head of romaine, or other hearty greens
- Steak of choice, grilled and sliced thin (or served whole on the side, see note)
- Delicata squash
- Crumbled blue cheese
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts
VINAIGRETTE
- 4 TSP honey
- 2 TSP Dijon
- 2-3 TSP plain yogurt (Greek works best)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- fresh thyme
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425F. Slice delicata squash into 1/4" rings. Remove the inner pith of the squash while maintaining the circular rings of the squash. Space out on a parchment lined sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until squash is deeply colored and the sugars caramelize. Set aside.
Turn oven down to 350F. Toss hazelnuts in some olive oil and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10-15 minutes, flipping part way through, until nuts are nicely browned. Set aside.
In a pint-sized jar or small mixing bowl, combine the honey, Dijon, and yogurt. Mix well with a whisk or fork. Slowly add the olive oil, emulsifying as you combine. Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Build the salad on plates, starting with the lettuce, squash, steak, and then topping with blue cheese, hazelnuts, and drizzling with the balsamic.
Notes
Inspired by: Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" Emilia-Romagnia episode
Steak: Hanger, Bavette, Sirloin, Filet are all great choices