Sovrano & Bresaola Salad
A completely different salad focused on Sovrano cheese and Bresaola beef with artichoke hearts. These salty components marry well with soft and peppery greens in this salad with Sovrano cheese that is similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano, but not quite as nutty.
Ingredients
- heads Butter lettuce, washed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces · 2
- bunch Baby arugula, washed and dried · 1
- Fennel bulb, cut into thin slices · ½ cup
- canned Artichoke hearts, drained and cut into quarters · 1 cup
- (6 thin slices) Bresaola, thinly sliced and cut into thin strips · 2 ounces
- sliced skinless raw almonds · ⅓ cup
- Sovrano cheese, shaved · 2 ounces
- Extra-virgin olive oil · 4 tablespoons
- Lemon juice or VerJus · 2 tablespoons
- Salt (ideally Murray River pink salt flakes) · ½ teaspoon
- Black pepper, freshly ground · ½ teaspoon
Instructions
Originating in Valtellina, a valley in the Alps of northern Italy's Lombardy region, Bresaola or brisaola is air-dried, salted beef that has been defatted and seasoned with a dry rub of coarse salt and spices, such as juniper berries, cinnamon and nutmeg and then aged two or three months until it becomes hard and turns a dark red, almost purple color. It is made from top (inside) round, and is lean and tender, with a sweet, musty smell. Bresaola may strike you as expensive, and it is, but a little goes a long way -- it should be served sliced paper thin.
In a large salad bowl combine the lettuce, arugula, fennel, artichoke hearts, bresaola, almonds and 1 1/2 ounces of Sovrano cheese and toss gently.
Drizzle enough oil over the salad (to taste) to thoroughly coat but not saturate the greens. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the salad, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently yet thoroughly.
Divide among individual plates and garnish each with additional shavings of Sovrano and enjoy with Williamson Wines