Equipment
Ingredients
Artichokes
- 8 baby artichokes
- 1 lemon, halved
Roasted Peppers and Zucchini
- 2 red bell peppers
- 400 g zucchini, sliced into 1cm thick rounds
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 3 g kosher salt
Chicory Base
- 150 g radicchio, leaves separated and torn
- 150 g frisee, pale green and white parts only, torn
Green Olive Vinaigrette
- 60 g castelvetrano olives, pitted and finely chopped
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 30 ml white wine vinegar
- 15 ml lemon juice
- 30 g shallot, finely minced
- 5 g garlic, finely minced
- 2 g black pepper
- 2 g kosher salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 24 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fiber
- 10 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 842 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 18 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Potassium
- 1069 mg
- Calcium
- 108 mg
- Iron
- 2.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 102 mg
- Phosphorus
- 182 mg
- Zinc
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 173 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 134 mg
- Vitamin E
- 6.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 133 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.6 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.17 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.25 mg
- Niacin
- 2.4 mg
- Folate
- 153 mcg
- Water
- 313 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Fill a medium mixing bowl with cold water and squeeze the lemon halves into it. Trim the tough outer leaves of the baby artichokes, cut off the top third, and peel the stems. Halve lengthwise and submerge in the acidulated water immediately to prevent browning.
Bring water to a boil in the steamer pot. Drain the artichokes and place them in the steamer basket. Steam for 15 minutes, or until completely tender when pierced with a paring knife. Remove and set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 230 C (450 F). Place the whole red bell peppers on a baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes, turning occasionally, until the skin is blistered and charred. Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly, and let steam for 10 minutes. Peel, seed, and slice into strips.
Preheat the broiler to high (approximately 260 C or 500 F). Toss the zucchini rounds with 30ml olive oil and 3g salt. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and broil for 5 to 7 minutes until blistered and tender.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, lemon juice, minced shallot, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Slowly whisk in the 60ml olive oil to emulsify, then gently fold in the finely chopped green olives.
Arrange the torn radicchio and frisee over a large serving platter. Attractively scatter the steamed artichoke halves, broiled zucchini rounds, and roasted red pepper strips over the bed of greens.
Spoon the green olive vinaigrette evenly over the composed vegetables and greens just before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Castelvetrano olives are highly recommended for this vinaigrette due to their mild, buttery profile, which elegantly balances the assertive bitterness of the chicory.
- Soaking radicchio and frisee in ice water for 20 minutes before spinning dry will significantly crisp the leaves and temper their harsh bitter notes.
- For the most tender baby artichokes, be aggressive when peeling away the dark green outer leaves; only the pale yellow-green interior should remain before steaming.
- Do not dress the salad until the very last moment. The acid and salt in the vinaigrette will quickly break down the delicate frisee leaves.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store components separately if possible; dressed greens will wilt rapidly.
Troubleshooting
Artichokes turned brown before cooking
Cause: Oxidation from exposure to air
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Submerge artichokes in lemon water immediately after trimming each one
Chicory greens are overwhelmingly bitter
Cause: Inherent botanical trait of mature radicchio or frisee
Fix: Add a pinch of sugar or a dash of maple syrup to the vinaigrette to balance
Prevention: Soak leaves in ice water for 20 minutes before drying to extract bitter compounds
Zucchini is soggy and pale rather than charred
Cause: Broiler was not hot enough or pan was overcrowded
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure broiler is fully preheated and zucchini slices have space between them
Cultural Context
Composed salads, or salades composees, are a hallmark of French culinary tradition where ingredients are artfully arranged rather than tossed. This particular variation leans heavily on Mediterranean flavors, celebrating the robust, sun-drenched produce of coastal Italy and southern France through its use of artichokes, sweet peppers, and olives.
