Why Bobby Flay Never Dresses Salad Greens Directly
A salad can be the ultimate dish — you can create one in an infinite amount of ways to keep things fresh, and it works well as an entree or as a side to compliment your main dish. Salads can be hearty and packed with ingredients, or they can be simple, light, and healthy. Either way, they're undeniably delicious ... as long as they're done right.
Because the greens are arguably the most important part of any salad, you want to be careful not to ruin them. Whether you use a lettuce that's tough and substantial like kale or romaine, or opt for leaves that are delicate and tender like frisée or spinach, it's important to keep the integrity of the leaves to deliver a well-executed, awesome salad recipe.
For chef Bobby Flay, there's one essential right way to dress a salad. He never pours the vinaigrette directly onto the greens because he believes this way can destroy the essential base, causing the greens to wilt or go limp quickly. For Flay, there's a better way to do it that'll ultimately make for a better salad.
The Bobby Flay way to dress a salad
Bobby Flay may be the "Grilling God," but he's also known as one to make a great salad. As the chef explains to Bon Appétit, his foolproof method for properly dressing a salad requires a couple of steps and a bit of care. Flay's first step, before he does anything with the dressing, is to season the greens (and any other vegetables in the salad) with salt and pepper to bring out and enhance their natural flavors.
Then, when it comes to adding the vinaigrette, Flay recommends coating the greens in a very specific way. Rather than throw the liquid directly on top of the salad, he says to "pour the dressing around the sides of the bowl, and then, using your hands, gently push the greens into the dressing to coat them." You could even add the dressing to the bowl first and then mix in your greens; the key is to not douse them with vinaigrette, no matter what method you choose.
This gentle mixing prevents any wilting or weakening of the salad greens, and also ensures that you don't overdress your salad. Flay says the greens should be "glistening" — i.e., you don't want to weigh your salad down with extra liquid, and often don't need to use all of the dressing. This method allows you to slowly but surely coat your greens in a delicious way, without ruining the most important part of the dish.
How to make Bobby Flay's citrus vinaigrette
Just like Bobby Flay has a right way to dress a salad, he also has a right way to make a flavorful vinaigrette. In a Food & Wine video on YouTube, the chef demonstrates his preferred method for making citrus vinaigrette, which will work to create lemon, orange, or any other citrus-focused dressing.
Flay makes his simple vinaigrette with lemon juice, shallot, garlic, honey, and olive oil. First, he adds the lemon juice to a hot saucepan along with shallots, garlic, and a bit of honey. He brings the mix to a boil and then cooks it down until it reduces into a syrupy substance. This creates a concentrated base for the vinaigrette that's very citrusy and flavorful.
Once the base is ready, Flay takes it all to the blender. This is when he adds the olive oil, pouring it in slowly while the mixture blends, to emulsify the vinaigrette. The end result: A bright, citrusy, flavorful vinaigrette that will taste great on just about any salad.