Bon Appétit (May 2015)
We are suckers for a crazy salad. We still think about that wacky Kohlrabi, Fennel and Blueberry Salad we made a few years ago. And we loved the Fattoush Salad we tried last summer.
Does this Snap Pea Salad count as "crazy"? Well, it's the only salad we've ever made with shaved coconut. And anything with pea shoots, lime, chives and fish sauce is at least slightly crazier than your standard iceberg-lettuce-and-tomato-with-vinaigrette.
As it turned out, though, this salad wasn't crazy enough.
We made this on Sunday night, as an accompaniment to the Miso-Glazed Mahi Mahi.
This salad comes together easily. Once you fry the shallots and toast the coconut, which you can do ahead of time, you just toss everything together in a bowl.
We loved the freshness of this -- especially the snap peas and the lime. The fish sauce gives a funky twist. Oh, and we really like the idea of using the shallot oil in the vinaigrette -- what a smart way to add more flavor.
But ultimately, it was all a little meh. The peas were yummy and springy, the dressing was plenty good. Surprisingly, however, the crazy ingredient that drew us to this in the first place -- the coconut -- was completely lost. We didn't think it added anything -- taste, texture, nada.
This was a perfectly fine spring salad. But we wanted a salad that was #crazy. What we got was something a little more #basic.
What's your best idea for "crazying" up this salad?
Snap Pea Salad with Coconut Gremolata
Bon Appétit (May 2015), recipe by Alison Roman
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(This photo: Jeremy Liebman/Bon Appétit)
Servings: 4
Active time: 20 min; Total Time: 30 min
INGREDIENTS
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced into rings
Kosher salt
¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
½ cup mint leaves, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound sugar snap peas, halved
2 cups pea shoots (tendrils), torn into large pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons fish sauce
Flaky sea salt
METHOD
Heat oil and shallots in a small saucepan over medium-high. Stir occasionally until golden brown and crisp, 5–8 minutes. Transfer shallots to paper towels; season with kosher salt. Pour shallot oil into a small bowl; let cool.
Meanwhile, toast coconut in same saucepan over medium, stirring occasionally, until edges are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; let cool. Add chives, lime zest, fried shallots, and 3 Tbsp. finely chopped mint and toss; season gremolata with kosher salt and pepper.
Toss snap peas, tendrils, lime juice, fish sauce, remaining torn mint leaves, and 3 Tbsp. shallot oil in a medium bowl; season with flaky sea salt and pepper. Let sit 5 minutes. Serve topped with gremolata.
