CRISP LEAVES WITH PEAS & BUTTERMILK HERB DRESSING

MAKES ENOUGH TO SERVE 4–6 / ACTIVE TIME 15 MINUTES / INACTIVE TIME 10 MINUTES

A good, creamy herb dressing paired with crisp, cold, crunchy salad leaves is one of my favourite combinations – an American steakhouse staple typically known as a “wedge” salad, using a wedge of iceberg lettuce with a dressing of either ranch or blue cheese. I like to think mine is a little lighter: heavy on the fresh herbs and omitting the blue cheese for something that complements the delicate spring vegetables better. The mixture of sour cream and mayonnaise ensures you have something that feels light on the tongue but rich enough to coat the leaves. For a truly American experience, add chopped crisp bacon, tomatoes and crumbled blue cheese in place of the peas and fennel. ½ cup (75g) fresh peas (or frozen works fine) 3 heads little gem lettuce (or other crisp lettuce

such as cos or iceberg), leaves separated 1 small head fennel, thinly sliced on a mandolin

(or with a very sharp knife)

BUTTERMILK HERB DRESSING

scant ½ cup (100g) sour cream scant ½ cup (100ml) buttermilk

40ml mayonnaise, preferably homemade (see recipe) juice of ½ lemon, about 40ml

3 tablespoons chopped chives

1 tablespoon chopped dill

1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane

1 small French shallot, finely diced fine sea salt freshly cracked black pepper

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch your fresh peas for about 3 minutes. Strain and shock them in an ice bath as soon as they come out. If using frozen peas, simply thaw them before using (see note).

Wash your lettuce and dry it well, either using a salad spinner or laying the washed leaves out on clean tea towels and carefully wrapping them.

To make the dressing, add all the ingredients (except for salt and pepper) to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

To serve, arrange the lettuce leaves on a large platter and top with the peas and sliced fennel. Finish by drizzling as much of the dressing as you like over the salad. Keep any excess dressing in the fridge for other uses (see serving suggestion).

NOTE:

Frozen peas are flash steamed before freezing, consequently they don’t need to be cooked, just warmed quickly, to ensure they retain their colour and pop. Simply place the frozen peas in a strainer and hold them under warm running water.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

This salad dressing recipe makes more than the salad requires but it holds well in the fridge for several days. It’s excellent to dip pizza into, or pizza crusts at least (hi, I’m American!), as well as crudités. It can be difficult to find buttermilk in small amounts, but any leftover buttermilk makes an excellent marinade for chicken or can be frozen to use another time.