Make Ahead

Corn Salad with Pedro Ximenez, Crispy Shallots, Radicchio and Pistachios

by:
August  3, 2011
5
1 Ratings
  • Serves 4-6
Author Notes

This recipe is a variation of one I devised at the Green Market in Chicago several summers ago. One of the local farmers was selling early summer radicchio and zucchini blossoms, so I added toasted pistachios for a purple, green and gold salad, dressed with good olive oil and a special sherry vinegar. In midsummer this year, the colors remain the same but with sweet corn instead of the zucchini flowers and the addition of caramelized shallots. - Cinzia900 —Cinzia900

Test Kitchen Notes

Paint a portrait of summer in garnet, gold and green. This really lovely salad satisfies most any craving. It's sweet, salty, bitter, sour—but balanced all around. Pedro Ximenez is exquisite to be sure, but any fine sherry vinegar will do nicely here. This salad is substantial enough to be your supper, so let it shine as a main course. It's both casual and elegant without trying too hard (make it for friends on a weeknight, and they'll say the same of you). —Lauren Utvich

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Ingredients
  • 8 shallots, medium size, sliced thin or early summer onions
  • 2 tablespoons good olive oil, for cooking the shallots or onions
  • 3 tablespoons Sherry Vinegar (SoTaroni Vinagre de vino Pedro ximenez gran reserva)
  • 6 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 6 corn ears, cooked and sliced off the cob
  • 3/4 cups pistachios, roughly chopped and toasted
  • 1 radicchio, large (or 2 medium), cut in half and sliced thin
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper, fresh ground
Directions
  1. Heat olive oil to medium, add shallots or onions, cook until slightly crispy, but not burnt or dried out. Spoon into large salad bowl.
  2. Add sherry vinegar (SoTaroni Vinagre de vino Pedro Ximenez Gran Reserva), salt and pepper and whisk in remaining olive oil; add corn and mix well. Add additional salt and pepper if needed.
  3. Mix in the sliced radicchio and the pistachios and toss.
  4. Grilled shrimp can be added to turn this into a main course in the summer.
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3 Reviews

Cinzia900 August 15, 2011
The photo of the radicchio is courtesy of Sharon Hoogstraten, a Chicago photographer who frequently photographs at the Green Market in Chicago. The racicchio if from the garden of Kim Bartko, a Chicago book designer and food writer. Cinzia900
Big P. August 11, 2011
Easy peasy...
Big P. August 19, 2011
And the colors are gorgeous. If you think the corn at the market is too sweet, try it in this recipe.