Little gem salad with pistachios and herbs
Albeit a little unorthodox in our journey of sun, sea and tropical vibes… New York is an island, and a rock ‘n roll, all things happenin’ island at that! Our friend, Andy Fenner was the one who inspired this recipe. When we asked him to write us a blog post on one of his island adventures and he turned in a beautiful piece on New York, we were intrigued! Whilst Neil’s last trip to the Big Apple was quite some years ago, and Jordan is still waiting (impatiently) to tick it off of her travel bucket list, we all know a thing or two about NYC… Even if just from the movies (I mean, it pops up in like half of the blockbusters from the nineties to now, right?) So, here’s a trendy AND delicious recipe, inspired by the one, the only… NEW YORK CITY BABY!
INGREDIENTS:
4 heads of Little Gem lettuce, halved lengthwise
For the Pistachio Cream
220g butter
Kosher salt, to taste
1 large egg yolk
½ cup raw pistachios, chopped, divided in half (reserve half to serve)
To Serve
2T lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
15g chives, finely chopped
15g dill fronds
Prep the gems: Remove the outer leaves of the Little Gems heads until you get 8 same-size, uniform little halves of lettuce; reserve outer leaves.
Make the cream: Melt the butter in a large frying over medium heat. Add reserved lettuce and season with salt. Cook, stirring, until wilted, about 5-10 minutes. Once completely wilted and tender, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly (this will prevent the pistachio cream from splitting).
Once cooled to room temperature, transfer leaves and butter to a blender. Add the egg yolk and ¼ cup pistachios and blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt. (It should be the consistency of yellow mustard. You can add more pistachios if it’s too thin, or water if it's too thick.)
Make the salad: Crush the remaining ½ cup pistachios in a food processor or with a knife.
Drizzle lettuce halves with lemon juice and oil; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over the pistachio cream. Top with fresh herbs and crushed pistachios
