Spring Porcini Salad
User Reviews
5
Spring Porcini Salad
Description
This salad brings together several fresh spring vegetables including fava beans and asparagus, blanched to preserve their color and freshness, then quickly boiled in salted water before cooling. Fresh corn kernels and seared coins of squash add sweetness and texture contrasts. The vegetables are tossed lightly with olive oil to keep them moist and flavorful.
Porcini mushrooms are pan-seared in clarified butter or olive oil and pressed to ensure even browning, adding an earthy and robust component to the salad. The combination of sautéed squash and porcini mushrooms lends a subtle richness balanced by the bright fresh vegetables.
Green onions, separated into white and green parts, contribute mild onion flavor and crunch. Optional garnishes can include grated salted egg yolk and fennel fronds, offering additional depth and a distinctive finish. This salad suits a seasonal spring meal or as a side dish showcasing fresh, lightly cooked produce.
Ingredients
- 4 porcini mushrooms sliced in half lengthwise, buttons
- 4 tablespoons clarified butter or olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 pounds fava beans shelled and blanched, or 1/2 pound shelled peas, fresh
- 1 pound asparagus blanched
- 12 green onions white parts and green parts separated, small
- 2 corn shucked and kernels cut off, ears
- 4 squash sliced into coins, small
- egg for garnish (optional, yolk, grated, salt-cured
- fennel fronds for garnish (optional
Instructions
- Once you have the favas shelled and blanched and the asparagus blanched -- boil both in salty water for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, then plunge into an ice water bath -- toss the favas with a little olive oil and set aside. Slice off the top 1/4 of the asparagus and toss with the fava beans. Use the rest of the asparagus for another use. Or add it to the salad anyway -- it makes no difference. Add the corn kernels to the bowl with the favas and asparagus.
- In a large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the clarified butter or olive oil over high heat. When it's hot, sear the squash until you get some nice browning, about 4 minutes. Turn the squash pieces once, and salt them well as soon as you turn them. When they're done, move them to the bowl with the favas, asparagus and corn.
- Add the remaining clarified butter or olive oil. When the butter is hot, set the porcini cut side down and sear. You may need to press them down with a spatula; sometimes they will arc upwards and you won't get a good sear unless you do. Sear undisturbed for 5 minutes, or until the cut side is nicely browned. As the porcini cook, toss in the white parts of the green onions so they can cook, too. Use a spoon to baste the mushrooms with the hot butter. Do this pretty much constantly so the round side of the porcini cook. Salt them while they are still in the pan.
- To serve, add the green parts of the green onions to the bowl with the rest of the vegetables and toss to combine. Ass salt to taste. Portion some out to everyone on plates. Give everyone 2 halves of a porcino with a little of the onions. Grind some black pepper over everything and garnish with the egg yolk and fennel fronds, if using.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 482 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 482kcal | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 67g | 22% |
| Protein | 25g | 50% |
| Fat | 16g | 25% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Sodium | 31mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 1635mg | 35% |
| Fiber | 19g | 76% |
| Sugar | 15g | 30% |
| Vitamin A | 1726IU | 35% |
| Vitamin C | 51mg | 57% |
| Calcium | 164mg | 16% |
| Iron | 7mg | 39% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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