Salads and Salad Dressings with (Garnishing)

By CDM2012

Copyright 2011 by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and published by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ingredients and Parts of a Salad

The three keys to ensuring a quality salad are: The freshness of ingredients Having all the ingredients blend together in harmony Making sure the salad is appealing to the eye

The four basic parts to most salads are:

1. The base of a salad is usually a layer of

salad greens that line the plate or bowl in which the salad will be served. 2. The body of the salad consists of the main ingredients. 3. Garnish enhances the appearance of the salad while also complementing the overall taste. 4. Salad dressings are liquids or semi-liquids used to flavor salads.

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Copyright 2011 by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and published by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Composed Salads
Consist of a bed or base, a main item, and garnishes Arrange elements carefully Use contrasting colors, textures, and flavors Repeat for added depth of flavor and appearance Prepare each component so that it can stand alone Each part should enhance the other

Green Salads

Always wash in cool water, two or three times, draining each time Lift out of the water, rinse out the sink, and repeat until there is no trace of sand Dry completely using a spinner or air-dry in the cooler Store clean and trimmed leaves in large containers, loose, well chilled Cut or tear into bite-size pieces, removing big stems and browned or wilted edges Set up on chilled plates and only just as they are served Garnish when you dress the salads

Warm Salads

Two approaches:
Toss the salad with a hot dressing until the

greens start to wilt Add a hot component to a cold salad, such as grilled and sliced chicken, fish, meat

Very popular luncheon entre

Prepare the bound salad from cooked primary ingredients such as meat, poultry, fish, egg, or starch such as potato, pasta, or rice.

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 Prepare

a vegetable salad from cooked and/or raw vegetables.

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Vegetable Salads
All vegetables are washed, trimmed, cut appropriately Drained, blotted, dried, marinated or seasoned and grilled, baked or used as is Colors, flavors, textures can be mixed for a striking salad Root vegetables are usually cooked before using

Prepare a fruit salad from fruit using a slightly sweet or sweet/sour dressing to enhance the flavor.

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 A combination

salad incorporates a combination of any of the four salad types.

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Potato Salad (Classic)

Creamy, dressed with mayonnaise, a little vinegar and mustard and some garnishes such as celery, onions, or celeriac, chilled High-moisture potatoes are most appropriate to use Around the world, a vinaigrette dressing is often used, with bacon Potatoes are dressed warm and chilled or served warm

Pasta and Grain Salads

Should be fully cooked but not mushy Can become soggy and should be used in one day If not, reason after it sits overnight and toss it to fluff it up Contrasting, crispy garnish is an appropriate garnish

Fruit Salads
Fairly sturdy, will keep in the cooler if treated with a little acid before assembly Delicate fruits, such as berries and bananas, should be added only at service, as they get tired-looking quickly when mixed with other fruits Add fresh herbs and mint at service

Salads can be used in five ways during the service courses:

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Starter Salad

A starter salad, served as an appetizer to the main meal, is smaller in portion and consists of light, fresh, crisp ingredients to stimulate the appetite.

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Accompaniment Salad

Serve an accompaniment salad, or side salad, with the main course of the meal, and make it light and flavourful, but not too rich.

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Main Course Salad

Main course salads are large enough to serve as a full meal and may contain protein ingredients, such as meat, poultry, seafood, egg, beans, or cheese.

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Intermezzo salad

The intermezzo salad is intended to be a palate cleanser after a rich dinner and before dessert.

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Dessert Salad

Dessert salads are usually sweet and often contain fruits, sweetened gelatin, nuts, cream, and whipped cream

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Cleaning and Storing Salads

The key to preparing good-tasting, interesting, attractive salads is to start with clean, fresh ingredients. Always thoroughly wash greens because dirt can lodge between leaves. After the greens are clean, proper storage is essential to keeping them fresh. Proper storage ensures the quality of the product served to the guest. All labels on stored containers should include the name of the item, weight, date received, name of person storing the product, and the original use-by date, if any.

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Types of Dressing

Vinaigrette dressing in its simplest form is made of oil and vinegar. Vinaigrettes are lighter, thinner dressings often used on more delicate ingredients, such as greens and vegetables.

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Vinaigrette

Generally accepted as 3 parts oil, 1 part acid Temporary emulsion, needs to be shaken or stirred while using Procedure is: Combine vinegar with seasonings Whip in the oil a little at a time, by hand or machine Serve immediately or chill for later Will hold a long time unless you have added an item that could spoil (dairy, eggs) Serve at room temperature

Compared to the suspension mixture of regular vinaigrettes, emulsified vinaigrettes have gone through the emulsion process. An emulsion is a mixture of ingredients that permanently stays together, unlike a suspension that eventually separates.
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 Mayonnaise-

based dressings are typically creamy dressings, such as Russian, thousand island, and blue cheese.
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Dairy-Based Dressings
Must be kept chilled Should be used up immediately or soon, as they have a short shelf life Adjust seasoning and thickness before using Excellent for fruit salads, jellied salads, chilled fish

Mayonnaise

Considered a permanent emulsion High ratio of oil to vinegar, bound with eggs or yolks Good mayonnaise is creamy, pale ivory, not too acidic Should hold its own shape Mustard is often added to give a little tartness

To Make Mayonnaise
Beat

the yolks with a little water till frothy Gradually add the oil, beating constantly Add a little vinegar or acid as the mayonnaise gets stiff Taste for quality of flavor; you may add additional seasoning Chill or serve immediately

Dips

A dip is a flavorful mixture that accompanies certain foods.

Like salad dressings, dips should complement or enhance a foods flavor. A dip must have the proper consistency. A dip should be soft enough to scoop up with a cracker, chip, or vegetable, but thick enough to stay on it. Ethnic variations of special salads and accompaniments are very popular as dips:

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Ethnic variations of dips

Guacamole: Avocado dip (Aztec origin). Salsa: Peppers, such as jalapeo or serrano, onions, and tomatoes (Mexico). Hummus: Chick pea with garlic and tahini (Middle East).

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Summary
The four main salad dressings are vinaigrette, emulsified vinaigrette, mayonnaise-based, and mayonnaise. An emulsion is the permanent blending of unlike ingredients, such as oil and vinegar. Vinaigrettes are lighter dressings used on more delicate ingredients, like salad greens. A dip is a mixture served as an accompaniment to certain foods. Like salad dressings, dips are meant to complement or enhance the foods they are served with, not hide the flavor of the food. Salsa, guacamole, and hummus are examples of popular ethnic dips.

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Garnishes

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Garnishing: Why and How

Proper garnish complements the main dish in color, flavor, and texture. Garnish should enhance the flavor of a dish. Preparation of garnishes is an essential part of the dish. Some garnishes can be prepared in bulk for use when plating and finishing both hot and cold items. What garnish to use depends not only on the food being served, but also on how the food is laid out on the plate. The purpose of plate presentation is to enhance the eye appeal of the food.

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Garnishing Dessert
Consider the flavor, texture, and appearance of the item being garnished when garnishing desserts. Numerous items can be used to garnish desserts properly: Fruit coulis in many varieties Whipped cream, flavored and unflavored Frosted mint leaves Chocolate work in the form of string work or formed pieces Spun sugar work Sweet sauces The overall impact of the garnish on the appearance of the dessert is driven by the way the garnish is presented.

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Plated Dessert

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Garnishing Soups

Garnishes for soups are classified into three groups:

Garnishes in the soup are the actual

ingredients. All garnishes must enhance both the flavor and appearance of the soup. Add toppings to soups as a garnish as well. Place any topping on the soup immediately before service because it will either melt or sink to the bottom. Garnishes in the form of accompaniments with soups include crackers, melba toast, corn chips, breadsticks, cheese straws, whole-grain wafers, and gougres.

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Garnishing Soup

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Summary

Enjoyment of a meal is affected by how it looks. If food has eye appeal, then enjoyment of the meal will go up. Garnishing properly is essential when presenting food. The garnish will complement the main dish in color, flavor, and texture. Garnish enhances the flavor of a dish as well as its eye appeal. Garnishing desserts requires consideration of the flavor, texture, and appearance of the item being garnished. Garnishes for soups are classified into three groups garnishes in the soup, garnishes topping the soup, and garnishes that accompany the soup on the side.

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