SALADS

 

A salad is a food served with a dressing, the food can be a cold dish, or green vegetables or mixture of fruit, or hot mixture of Piquant foods, or frozen mixture of fruit, or chopped foods in aspic, coleslaw. 
The difference between hors d’oeuvre and salad is that the hors d’oeuvre is an important course and it is always the first course .It is served in small quantities and is a light, appetizing, colourful and stimulating dish. Hors d’oeuvre is not served as any other course, salad can be served as the first course in small quantities. It can also be served as a salad course or as an accompaniment with roast or entrée Course. 
Salads should be cold, crisp, Piquant, colourful, well seasoned and attractive. They supply nutrients to the dish, especially when they are made of fresh fruit and vegetables. 

Salads are of two types: Plain or simple salads and compound or composite salads. 
Simple Salads: These can be subdivided into green salad or salad in season, which is served raw or cooked, consisting of a single kind of vegetable as a case. One or two ingredients are used for decoration and as a garnish. Eg. Artichoke, Beetroot, Tomatoe Salad. 
Compound Salads: They are more elaborate salads and consist of more than one ingredient. On the basis of base is can be divided into fish based, Veg based, Poultry or meat based and fruit based. 
The salad has four basic parts: Underlines or base body dressing and garnish .we have to take care for every part, and if any part is omitted or poorly done the finished salad will not be up to the mark.

 
BASE: The Underlines is usually a leafy veg such as lettuce of different kinds as romaine,Cos,. water cress, cabbage etc. The tossed salads do not have an underlines , they are piled in bowls. 

BODY: This is the most important part of the salad .The salad gets its name from the ingredients, that are used for the body. This part gets the most attention and its appearance is enhanced by decorations .The body consists of broken salad green ,fruits in moulded aspic, sliced cooked potatoes raw cabbage ,tomato stuffed with fish, chicken or meat. 

DRESSING: A dressing is usually served with all types of salads . It adds flavour , Provides food value, helps digestion , improves Palatability and appearance.Dressing is in a liquid or 
semi liquid form and generally a mixture of oil,vinegar , seasoning or egg or cream etc.,

SALADS HISTORY

History repeats that Roman emperors ordered the service of greens on plates of gold. The custom of mixing herbs and oil with greens originated in Italy and Greece and traveled to Spain and France, where it was readily adopted. The French and Spaniards introduced salads to America, where they were simply uncooked green leaves on stalks.

The popularity of salads has increased throughout the years, and now salads occupy a prominent place not only in meals in restaurants, many of which feature salad bars.

The salad continues to be served with the main course, as it originally was, or preceding the main course and often it is only one vegetable.

NUTRITIONAL QUALITY – The nutritional quality depends on the foods that compose the salads. Salads made with fresh fruits and vegetables are good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Salad greens – particularly the dark green ones – are rich sources of vitamin-A, ascorbic acid, and iron. A salad made entirely of greens counts as one serving of leafy green vegetables, but the few greens that form the base on which other types of salads are do not.
Salads containing meat, poultry, seafood, cheese, nuts, and hard – cooked egg contribute protein, vitamins, minerals, and fat. Those made of macaroni, potato, and mature beans provide carbohydrate, some vitamins, and minerals. Salad dressings and cream contribute Kcalories and fatty acids. 

The kind and amount of dressing eaten with a salad often determine the Kcalories. Most salad dressing contains a high proportion of oil. The vegetable oils in the salad dressing contribute linoleic acid, which is an essential fatty acid, vitamin – E, and Kcalories. Mayonnaise provides the most Kcalories per tablespoon, followed by French dressing, and cooked salad dressing the least.

Fresh vegetables and fruits are relatively low in Kcalories and are preferred accompaniment salads. Salads used as a main dish may contain fewer Kcalories than a number of other main course items. Salads as dessert may contain fewer Kcalories than a number of other dessert items.

SALAD FUNCTIONS – Salads are frequently grouped according to their use or function or according to the kind of food from which they are prepared. They are often designated as hearty or light, indicating their satiety and caloric value.

The original use of salad greens as an accompaniment to the main – course has been extended so that salads now have a variety of roles on menus from appetizer to dessert. They may be served as a separate course between the main and dessert courses, although they continue to be popular meat or main – dish accompaniments. They also serve as party refreshments and as snacks and enhance the aesthetic qualities of food service.

Accompaniment Salad - are generally crisp and sometimes tart. They complement the meat or other main dish with which they are served. Combinations of crisp vegetables, greens, and fruits yield light salads with pleasing contrast to meats and other main – dish foods. Accompaniment salads represent the most common salad function, appearing in nearly every dinner.

Gelatin salads are other popular accompaniment salads. These may be made with flavoured or unflavoured gelatins. Perfection salad can be made with unflavoured gelatins, lemon juice, and shredded vegetables. Aspics derive their flavour from the combination of ingredients added to the unflavoured gelatin. Tomato aspic is prepared with well – seasoned tomato juice.

Main – dish Salad – are hearty and can be the basis of a lunch, supper, or party menu. Sometimes the main – dish salad is known as a salad plate or bowl. Included in this type of salads are crisp greens and vegetables along with such protein rich foods as meat, poultry, fish, cheese, meat, and hard – cooked eggs. When these protein foods appear in julienne strips are arranged over salad greens, the dish be called chef’s salad.

Some main – dish salads feature carbohydrate rich foods, such as macaroni, potato, or red kidney beans, combined with fish, poultry, or meat and combined with raw or cooked vegetables.

A variety of fruits – fresh, canned, frozen, or dried – arranged attractively on crisp greens form main – dish fruit salad plates or bowls. These fruit salads often include additions of tiny sandwiches or slices of nuts, cheese, or sherbet, for the sake of satiety.

Appetizer Salads – are designed to stimulate the appetite for the meal to follow. A combination of salad greens or of salad greens and other succulent vegetables, seasoned with a tart dressing, is a pleasant appetizer. Nearly all-fresh fruit contribute a degree of tartness to fill the role of appetizer. Attractive arrangements of fresh fruits, with a variety of colours and shapes, on crisp greens or in hollowed out half shells from fruits such as melons or oranges make appealing salads. Fruit appetizer salads usually provide a sufficiently satisfying flavour without a salad dressing, but a dressing may be used if desired. 

Combinations of seafoods such as crab, lobster, or anchovy, and greens, with flavourful sauces or dressing, also fill the appetizer role. Seafood in small quantities serves to stimulate the appetite but in large quantities can satisfy it, contributing a substantial portion of the daily protein need.

Garniture Salads – Vegetable and fruit garnishes offer an appealing contrast in colour, shape, flavour, and texture and thus add to the enjoyment of the foods they enhance. A variety of interesting curls and shapes can be formed when thinly cut, slices, and rings of vegetables are crisped in ice water. Pickled fruits and vegetables also add exciting flavour accents. Small fruits remain whole, and large fruits may be cut into halves, sections, spears, cubes or balls and arranged to accent the foods they garnish.

Dessert Salads – are less intensely sweet than most other desserts. They consist of various combinations of fresh, frozen salads. Fruits are usually added to gelatin dessert salads, which may also include nuts and whipped cream, cream cheese, or marshmallow base and often include fruits and nuts. Frozen salads tends to be somewhat richer than other dessert salads and are appropriately served with light lunches or dinner.

Refreshment/ Snack Salads – Salads also serve as party refreshments or as snacks. The bright colours and arrangement of foods in a salad add attractiveness, festivity, and elegance to any occasion. All light or small salads are appropriate snacks and, except for plain gelatin, can enhance the nutrient intake.

The kind of party determines the salad selection. Accompaniment or garniture salads accent party sandwiches. Main – dish salads provide unusual and pleasing main courses for party luncheons and suppers. Dessert salads are elegant party refreshment or conclusions to a festive meal.

TYPES OF SALADS – Salads are of two types: Plain or Simple salads, and Compound or Composite salads.
Simple Salads – These can be subdivided into green salad or salad in season, which is served raw or cooked, consisting usually of a single kind of vegetable as a base. One or two ingredients, in small quantities are used for decoration or as a garnish.

Compound Salads – They are more elaborate salads, and consist of more than one ingredient. They are divided into four groups. Fish based, Vegetable based, Game or Meat based & Fruit based.

PARTS OF SALAD – The salad has four basic parts: Underliner or base, body, dressing and garnish. While composing a salad each part plays an important role, and if one part is omitted or done poorly, the finished salad will not be upto the standard.

Base – The underliner is usually a leafy vegetable such as lettuce of different kinds as romaine or cos, watercress, cabbage etc. There are not many varieties cultivated, and only one variety is used. The tossed salads do not have an underliner; they are piled in bowls. The main purpose is to keep the plate or bowl from looking bare and to provide contrast colour to the other parts of the salad.

Body – This is the most important part of the salad. The salad gets its name from the ingredients that are used for the body. This part gets the most attention, and its appearance is enhanced by decorations. The ingredients used have a balance of flavours and taste. The body consists of broken salad greens, fruit in moulded aspic, sliced cooked potatoes, raw cabbage, and tomato stuffed with tuna fish, chicken or meat dices or strips etc.



Garnish – The main purpose of the garnish is to add eye appeal to the finished product, but in some cases it improves the taste and form (border). It may be a part of the body or it can be an additional item that will blend and complement. If the garnish is simple it will attract and not distract. 

Dressings – A dressing is usually served with all types of salads. It adds flavour, provides food value, help digestion, improves palatability, and appearance. Dressing is a liquid or semi – liquid form a mixture of oil vinegar, seasonings or eggs or cream, etc. 

The basic dressings are Mayonnaise, Vinaigrette or French dressing, lemon dressing, mustard cream and acidulated cream.

Mayonnaise – is also known as basic cold sauce and has numerous derivatives. It is used for cold dishes, the coating of fish, meat, eggs, etc.

Vinaigrette – can be made, in the French, English or American style. French – 3parts of oil and one part of vinegar and French mustard and seasonings. English – 1 part of oil and 2 parts of vinegar, mustard and seasonings. American – Equal quantities of vinegar and oil, seasonings and sugar. Lemon dressing – same as vinaigrette using lemon juice instead of vinegar.

Acidulated Cream – 3parts thin cream and 1 part of vinegar or lemon juice, salt and pepper.

SALAD PREPARATION

Selection – salad preparation begins with the selection of high quality ingredients. Attractive salads require crisp, sound, firm vegetables and fruits with good colour, texture, and flavour and uniform size and shape. Cooked or canned products should be sufficiently firm to retain their shape.


Cleaning – all raw vegetables and fruits are thoroughly cleaned for salad preparation. Leafy greens are lifted in and out of a large quantity of water or held under running water to remove soil and other residues. Iceberg lettuce cups are easily formed when the core is first remove. The leaves separate readily when the portion from which the core was removed is held under cold running water. The washed green are placed on a towel or rack to remove excess water and then stored in the refrigerator in a covered container or plastic bag to retain or restore their crispness. Other washed vegetables and fruits are drained and stored in the refrigerator hydrator. 

Crisping – Refrigerator storage of washed greens, other vegetables, and fruits aid in maximum crispness. Some crispness can be restored to limp fresh vegetables by washing or rinsing them with cold water, and then refrigerating them in a plastic bag or covered container for an hour or more. 


Cutting – Leafy greens used in the body of a salad are torn into bite sized pieces to reduce possible damage to cell structure and provide a variety of shapes and sizes. A sharp knife is essential for cutting other salad vegetables and fruits to avoid bruising them. Head lettuce is often cut into wedges for lettuce salad. Firm vegetables, such as cabbage and carrots, may be shredded, chopped, grated, or cut.

Salad ingredients are cut into pieces that retain their identity and are easily eaten without cutting at the table. Raw fruits or vegetables should be cut just before serving to reduce exposure to oxygen and thus loss of ascorbic acid. Foods that can be easily cut with a fork may remain in large pieces, when desired. 

Colour retention – Some fresh fruits – peaches, apples, and bananas – become brown after they are cut. This browning is promoted by enzymes present in the fresh fruits and can be prevented by dipping the fruit in citrus fruit or pineapple juice as soon as it is cut. The enzymes react with polyphenols and some amino acids in the fruits are cooked or canned, the enzymes are inactivated by heat treatment, and the colour does not change.

Marinade – The marinade imparts additional flavour to starchy and firm succulent vegetables, meats, seafoods, and macaroni before they are used in salads. The marinade is a well – seasoned blend of oil and acid, such as vinegar, lemon juice or french dressing. The foods remain in the marinade for an hour or longer before draining so that the flavour will penetrate.

The salts in the marinade or salad dressing create an osmotic pressure. Water is then withdrawn from the vegetable cells in an effort to balance the salt concentration of the fluid within the cells and the liquid surrounding the cells. The loss of water from the cells causes them to weaken and begin to collapse. Succulent leafy vegetables, because of osmotic forces, begin wilting soon after they are coated with salad dressing. However, marinating firm foods such as potato, macaroni, and meat is an effective way to enhance and blend flavour.

SALAD COMPOSITION – Working much like any other artist, the culinary artist combines ingredients of various forms and colours to compose a salad for the intended functions and considers the colours, flavours, texture, and arrangement of salad components. The intended salad function determines the food items from which the salad should be prepared and its size. Appetizer, accompaniment, and dessert salads are of a moderate size; so – called salad plates or bowls and main – dish salads are large in size; garniture salads are small.

Colour – Salads with well – chosen colour combinations become the focal point of the meal. Fruit skins, with their vivid colours, should be retained for pleasing highlights in salads. Complementary and contrasting colours make attractive salads. A colour range and contrast can be achieved by using a variety of greens to form the base of the salad. Colourful garnishes and bright accents enhance salads that are relatively neutral in colour.

Most salads are prepared from raw fruits and vegetables, permitting the retention of the vivid colours of the fresh produce. But even those few salads that may be served hot, such as potato or chicken, can also be enhanced with colourful vegetable or fruit garnishes. Salad colour combinations must be carefully chosen.

Shape – Salad materials cut in a variety of shapes and sizes contribute interest and aesthetic appeal. The case with which the salad can be eaten and the dominating shapes of the foods with which the salad will be served should be considered. The shapes and sizes of salad materials should contrast with, rather than repeat, those of the foods they accompany. For e.g., when a casserole is featured as the main – dish, the salad should contain relative large or whole food items such as fruit halves on crisp greens. The salad should consist of a combination of several foods. A tossed salad would offer little variation or contrast to a stew, but it would offer a pleasing contrast when served with meat loaf or baked pork chops.

Flavour – Relatively bland or mild – flavoured salads should be served with highly seasoned foods, and flavourful salads should accompany bland foods. Food flavours in a salad and the other foods that are served should complement each other and be co–ordinated. The distinct flavours of celery, green peppers, and radishes, for instance, accent the bland flavour of potato in a salad. Flavour accents and contrasts heighten the enjoyment of the salad and the meal it accompanies.

Texture – The texture of a salad should offer some contrast to the food it accompanies, and textural contrast should be present in the foods in a salad. The soft texture of pasta contrasts effectively with a salad of crisp greens. The crispness of raw celery, onion, and radishes offer a pleasing contrast to the soft texture of potato in a salad. The crisp texture of fried food is accented when fruit and gelatin salads are offered with it. 

Arrangement – The plate should be large enough to permit the salad to be eaten with ease and should be suited to the arrangement and size of the salad. All of the salad should be contained on the plate, with a margin of the plate serving to frame the salad, just as a picture is framed. Salad arrangements depicting specific objects and that detract from the natural beauty of foods should be avoided.

Thee arrangement of the components contribute to the beauty and pleasure offered by the salad. All salads, large and small, should have a center of interest, or focal point, and should be attractively arranged. The arrangement should reflect a balance among the component parts of the salad. The greens or base of the salad serve to unify the salad and form a border for the other ingredients. The dressing, when used, is applied just before serving so that the crispness of the salad will be retained.


SALAD DRESSINGS – Common ingredients in salad dressing include oil, acid, egg-yolk, cooked starch, and a variety of seasonings. Egg-yolk promotes emulsification, the process by which one liquid is dispersed in another with which it usually does not mix. Other emulsions are often in commercially prepared salad dressings.
Salad dressings provide the seasoning for salad. The three types of salad dressing are identified as mayonnaise, french, and cooked.

Mayonnaise – is an example of a permanent emulsion. A true commercial mayonnaise must contain egg or egg-yolk, which acts as an emulsifier, and at least 65% oil. It is the lecithoproteins of the yolk that assures the dispersion of oil in very tiny droplets and contributes to the permanent stability of the emulsion. The acid – vinegar or lemon juice – and the oil influence the flavour of mayonnaise.

French dressing – usually is a temporary emulsion that separates quickly and can be reestablished by shaking the dressing vigorously before each use. It is made with oil, acid, and seasonings. The insoluble seasonings, such as paprika and dry mustard, collect to the oil – water interface and contribute a small degree of stability to the emulsion. 
Commercially prepared french dressings contain seasonings, acid, and 35% vegetable oil. They also contain emulsifiers or stabilizers such as pectins, vegetable gums, or gelatin. Some commercial french – type dressings may have a creamy consistency and can be classed as a semi – permanent emulsion.

Cooked Salad Dressing – Cooked salad dressing resembles mayonnaise whether home or commercially prepared. The appearance and flavours of home prepared cooked salad dressing is somewhat different from commercially salad dressing because of the kinds and proportion of ingredients used.
Cooked salad dressings contain less fat and egg than mayonnaise. A cooked paste is the base of a home prepared cooked salad dressing and the dressing includes an acid – vinegar or fruit juice – egg and seasonings. Butter or margarine may be added for flavour, but oil is not usually used.
Commercially cooked salad dressing contains a cooked starch paste, vegetable oil, an acid, and seasonings, emulsifying agents such as pectin or vegetable gums, and sometimes eggs. It has a minimum of 30%oil compared to 65% for mayonnaise.

Uses and Variations of Salad Dressings – Mayonnaise and salad dressings are suitable for most any salad, whether vegetable, meat, pasta, or fruit. French dressing is a favourite for crisp vegetable salads and may be used to marinate macaroni, meat, and potatoes.
Variety can be introduced to the basic salad dressing with the addition of one or more flavourful ingredients, such as pickles, olives, chili sauce, cheese, chives, mustard, horseradish, or tomato paste. Consistency and flavour of salad dressings can be varied with the addition of cream, whipped cream, honey, fruit juices, peanut butter, or cream cheese. These additions to the basic dressings are made with consideration for the foods with which they will be used.

The basic dressings are :
Mayonnaise , Vinaigrette or French dressing , lemon dressing, mustard cream and acidulated cream.(3 cream , 1 vinegar, or lemon , salt + Pepper) Compound or Composite Salads (Examples)
1).Cole slaw – sliced veg & vinaigrette dressing
2).Andalaouse- ¼ of tomatoes , Julienne of Pimentos ,boiled rice, garlic, onion .
3).Carmen – Rice ,red Pimentos ,cold chicken , green Peas.
4).Chatelaine – Hand soiled egg, truffles , artichoke , Potato, tarragon
5).Paristenne-Fish aspic, veg salad ,lobster ,truffles, herbs, lettuce with mayonnaise & Aspic. 
CLASSICAL GARNISHES 
1. Americaine (Fish) : Slice of lobster and truffles.
2. Dieppoise(Fish): Shrimps, bearded mussels, mushrooms.
3. Financiere : Chicken quenelles , cockscombs, cock’s kidney ,truffles, stoned olives.
4. Marinnier (Fish) : Shrimps or Prawns , bearded mussels .
5. Milanaise : Julienne of Ham , mushrooms , tongue , truffles , tomatoes.
6. Mirabeau(Grills): Anchovy butter , Fillet of anchovy, stuffed Olives.
7. Normande(Fish) : Bearded Oyster and mussels , mushroom heads , Crayfish tails,Goujon of sole, slices of truffles , crutons . 
8. Regence : 
a). Fish : Fish Quenelles , crayfish tails , mushrooms, bearded oysters, soft roes,slices of truffles.
b). Chicken Sweet-bread : Chicken quenelles , cockscomb, triangles of foie gras,mushroom heads.
c). Game : Game quenelles ,cockcombs, triangle of foie gras , mushroom heads,crutons.
9. Reforme : Julienne of ham , tongue , beetroot ,whites of egg, gherkins
10. Strasbourgeoise : Lardons of boiled bacon , slices of foie gras ,chipolatas.