A stirring spring meal
It’s easy to forget that spring can take its sweet time. As I write this from upstate New York, most of the snow has melted, and there have been a few warm, sunny days. But the air is disappointingly damp and chilly, not at all like the mythical mild spring day one imagines.
Looking closely, though, things are beginning to stir. Tiny green shoots are visible in bare patches of earth, and the first diminutive dandelions are beginning to emerge. Buds are visible on branches.
As it is my birthday, I’m making a special salad
— a glorious, colorful, fresh-tasting salad — and I want it to look and taste like spring.
I want a zesty mixture. Watercress, dandelion, curly endive, escarole, radicchio, mizuna, spinach and red sorrel leaves are all good candidates.
In addition to the zesty greens, there must be texture: wedges of cooked golden beets; crunchy raw slivers of celery, radish and young turnip; toasted walnuts and chopped egg. Tarragon, dill, lemon juice, mustard and walnut oil give the dressing depth and brightness.
Originally, I had planned to have this eye-popping salad as a starter, but then realized its ideal place on the menu was as an accompaniment to the main course, pan-fried breaded pork chops.
Since the pork chops would be rich and fatty, a salad would be most welcome, and they’d look beautiful together as well.
A breaded pork chop makes a lovely meal, shallow-fried, crisp and golden. Of course, the details matter: Look for beautiful good-quality pork and ask for center-cut bone-in loin chops.
For the breading, day-old firm white sandwich bread or a crustless French loaf that’s been cubed and whirled in a food processor makes nice, fluffy, soft crumbs. Dry, fine, storebought crumbs will not achieve quite the same result.
To ensure the crunchiest result, it’s important to fry these chops very gently over medium-high heat, to allow the breadcrumb coating to brown slowly. My choice for frying, clarified butter, gives them a gorgeous flavor, but so would olive oil or good lard. A neutral oil is also fine.
Since these are thick chops (not cutlets or schnitzel), they take a good five minutes per side. Just don’t crowd the pan.