Equipment
Ingredients
Garlic Confit
- 30 garlic, peeled
- 150 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 fresh thyme
Vinaigrette
- 30 ml white wine vinegar
- 15 g dijon mustard
- 3 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Salad & Crostini
- 250 g dandelion greens, washed, dried, roughly chopped
- 150 g baguette, thinly sliced
- 2 g flaky sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 504 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 34 g
- Fat
- 39 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 805 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 28 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Potassium
- 405 mg
- Calcium
- 188 mg
- Iron
- 4.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 44 mg
- Phosphorus
- 124 mg
- Zinc
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 319 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 30 mg
- Vitamin E
- 7.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 510 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.45 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.36 mg
- Niacin
- 2.5 mg
- Folate
- 64 mcg
- Water
- 91 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the peeled garlic cloves and extra virgin olive oil in a small saucepan over the lowest possible heat. Add thyme sprigs if using. Cook gently for 45 minutes until the garlic is extremely soft and golden.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the garlic and oil to cool to room temperature. Discard the thyme sprigs.
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Arrange the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Brush the baguette slices lightly with 15ml of the cooled garlic confit oil. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and completely crisp.
In a blender, combine 6 cloves of the cooled garlic confit, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, kosher salt, and black pepper. Blend on medium speed while slowly streaming in 45ml of the garlic confit oil until smoothly emulsified.
Place the thoroughly dried dandelion greens in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with the prepared dressing and toss gently to coat every leaf evenly.
Transfer the dressed greens to serving plates and arrange the crispy baguette slices alongside. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Dandelion greens can be quite bitter; soaking them in ice water for 10 to 15 minutes before thoroughly drying can help mellow their assertiveness.
- Save any remaining garlic confit and infused oil. It stores beautifully in the refrigerator for up to a week and elevates roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or simple pasta dishes.
- Always ensure your salad greens are completely dry before dressing them. Water repels the oil-based vinaigrette, causing it to pool at the bottom of the bowl instead of clinging to the leaves.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store dressing separately from greens to prevent wilting. Solidified oil in dressing can be gently warmed to room temperature before serving.
Troubleshooting
Garlic confit is hard and bitter
Cause: The heat was too high, causing the garlic to deep-fry rather than gently poach
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Keep the heat extremely low, using a heat diffuser if your stove runs hot
Dressing is separated or split
Cause: Oil was added too quickly or was still warm when blended
Fix: Add a teaspoon of warm water to a clean bowl, then vigorously whisk the broken dressing into the water drop by drop until re-emulsified
Prevention: Ensure the oil is completely cooled to room temperature and pour it in a very thin, steady stream while blending
Cultural Context
Salade de Pissenlits (dandelion salad) is a traditional French countryside dish, originally a foraging fare that signaled the arrival of spring or late fall greens. The rich, mellow sweetness of the slow-poached garlic confit brilliantly tempers the innate bitterness of the wild greens.
