Author Notes
This recipe is a grilled take on Petits Pois à la Française, one of my all-time favorite French bistro dishes. It's made from lettuce, onion, bacon, and fresh peas, which are then cooked in a rich butter and stock gravy. —QueenSashy
Test Kitchen Notes
WHO: QueenSashy is a data scientist by day, James Beard-award nominated food blogger by night.
WHAT: A springtime salad that has us dreaming of bistros along the Seine.
HOW: Make a simple dressing out of mayonnaise, crème fraîche, buttermilk, and lemon juice. Pour it over an assortment of lightly charred spring vegetables and toss with seasoned bacon. Voila!
WHY WE LOVE IT: This is what other salads aspire to be when they grow up: Understated at first, then surprisingly interesting and completely irresistible. The creamy dressing holds the spring vegetables together without being overwhelming and the seasoned bacon provides another layer of flavor. Heck, this salad is what we want to be when we grow up. —Megan @Foodiocentric
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Ingredients
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6 ounces
thick-cut bacon
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1 teaspoon
light brown sugar
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1/4 teaspoon
paprika
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2 tablespoons
mayonnaise
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2 tablespoons
crème fraîche or sour cream
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2 tablespoons
buttermilk
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2 teaspoons
lemon juice
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Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
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20
medium scallions (about 12 ounces)
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3
hearts of romaine lettuce (about 12 ounce)
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10 ounces
fresh green peas
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2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 350º F. Arrange the bacon slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with sugar and paprika. Bake until caramelized, for about 25 minutes. Let the bacon cool completely (the bacon will crisp as it cools) and then cut it into 1/2-inch pieces.
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Prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, crème fraîche, buttermilk, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
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Prepare the vegetables. Rinse the scallions and pat dry. Rinse the romaine and pat dry. Discard the outermost leaves and chop off the top 2 inches of the romaine head. Cut each heart of romaine in half lengthwise, making sure that the root keeps each piece together.
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Preheat the broiler. In a bowl, toss the peas with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a large sheet pan in one layer, and broil until the peas are lightly browned, mixing occasionally, for about 8 minutes. Place the peas in a small bowl and set aside.
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Place the scallions on the same sheet pan in one layer, lightly brush with olive oil, season with salt, and broil for about 4 to 5 minutes, until lightly charred. Transfer the scallions to a cutting board or work surface and let cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Cut the scallions into 3/4-inch pieces.
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Lightly brush the romaine pieces all over with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Broil the romaine on the sheet pan until lightly browned in spots, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer the romaine to a work surface and let cool for about 2 to 3 minutes. Chop the romaine into 1-inch thick strips. Discard the roots.
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In a large bowl, toss the peas, scallions, romaine, and bacon. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Aleksandra aka QueenSashy is a scientist by day, and cook, photographer and doodler by night. When she is not writing code and formulas, she blogs about food, life and everything in between on her blog, Three Little Halves. Three Little Halves was nominated for 2015 James Beard Awards and the finalist for 2014 Saveur Best Food Blog Awards. Aleksandra lives in New York City with her other two halves, Miss Pain and Dr. V.
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