Escarole Salad with Thinly Sliced Mushrooms

From Salads: Beyond the Bowl by Mindy Fox (Kyle Books; 2012). Reprinted with permission.

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 10 min

Total time: 20 min

Yield: 4 servings

Using marmalade in a dressing allows you to put citrus, a little sweetness and the distinctive flavor of the preserve into a salad with one swoop of the spoon. If you’re not already a marmalade aficionado, this salad might also be a nice entry point. Marmalades range in flavor and texture, so your dressing will vary, depending on which sort you choose. Some are more sweet, others more bitter. Those marked “thick cut” or “coarse cut” include delicious pieces of toothsome rind in the mix. Frank Cooper's Vintage Oxford Marmalade is my favorite and the one that my mom raised me on. It appeals to palates that prefer bitter over sweet. Use the marmalade you like best.

Ingredients

Vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots

• 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade, plus 1 teaspoon extra rind, coarsely chopped

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon lukewarm water

• 1/2 pound mixed mushrooms

• 4 ounces escarole or frisée, torn into bite-sized pieces (about 4 cups)

• 4 ounces baby spinach (about 4 packed cups)

• Flaky coarse sea salt

Instructions

• Make the base for the dressing: In a small saucepan, combine the shallots, oil, 1⁄8 teaspoon fine sea salt and a generous pinch of pepper. Heat over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are very soft and just lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium heatproof bowl, scraping every last drop of oil from the saucepan into the bowl, and let cool to room temperature.

• Meanwhile, prepare the mushrooms: Trim the base of button mushroom stems and very thinly slice both tops and stems. If you are using enoki mushrooms, separate the clusters at their base into individual mushrooms or clusters of two or three.

• When the shallots have cooled, add the marmalade plus 1 teaspoon chopped orange rind, if using, the vinegar, lemon juice and 1⁄8 teaspoon each fine sea salt and pepper. Whisk well to combine, then whisk in the lukewarm water. In a large serving bowl, combine the frisée and spinach. Add the dressing and toss. Season to taste with crushed flaky coarse sea salt and pepper, then add the mushrooms and gently toss to combine. Garnish with extra orange rind from marmalade, if desired.