Nancy’s Chopped Salad

Name: Nancy’s Chopped Salad
Yield: serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main course
Ingredients: Half of a small red onion (halved through the core); 1 small head iceberg lettuce; 1 medium head radicchio; 1 pint small sweet cherry tomatoes (such as Sun Golds or Sweet 100s), halved through the stem ends, or cherry tomatoes, quartered; Kosher salt; 1 1/2 cups cooked Ceci (page 96); 4 ounces aged provolone, sliced 1/8 inch thick and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips; 4 ounces Genoa salami, sliced 1/8 inch thick and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips; 5 peperoncini, stems cut off and discarded, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup); 1/2 cup Oregano Vinaigrette (page 97), plus more to taste; Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus more to taste; Dried oregano, for sprinkling (preferably Sicilian oregano on the branch)

January 26, 2012

I was introduced to the concept of a chopped salad in the 1970s at La Scala Boutique, a casual offshoot, now closed, of the Beverly Hills institution La Scala. The salad, which they call the Jean Leon Chopped Salad (it’s now available at the original La Scala restaurant), is made of iceberg lettuce, salami, and mozzarella, all so finely chopped that you almost don’t have to chew it, then topped with ceci, or chickpeas, and a tangy red wine vinaigrette. I was totally addicted to that salad. I’ve been making chopped salads ever since, always with La Scala’s version in mind, but the one we serve at the Pizzeria with aged provolone and Sweet 100 tomatoes is my best yet.

Recipe information

Yield
serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main course

Ingredients

Half of a small red onion (halved through the core)

1 small head iceberg lettuce

1 medium head radicchio

1 pint small sweet cherry tomatoes (such as Sun Golds or Sweet 100s), halved through the stem ends, or cherry tomatoes, quartered

Kosher salt

1 1/2 cups cooked Ceci (page 96)

4 ounces aged provolone, sliced 1/8 inch thick and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips

4 ounces Genoa salami, sliced 1/8 inch thick and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips

5 peperoncini, stems cut off and discarded, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)

1/2 cup Oregano Vinaigrette (page 97), plus more to taste

Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus more to taste

Dried oregano, for sprinkling (preferably Sicilian oregano on the branch)

Preparation

Step 1
Separate the layers of the onion, stack two or three layers on top of one another, and slice them lengthwise 1/16 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining onion layers. Place the onion slices in a small bowl of ice water and set them aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients for the salad. Drain the onion and pat dry with paper towels before adding them to the salad.
Step 2
Cut the iceberg in half through the core. Remove and discard the outer leaves from the head and remove and discard the core. Separate the lettuce leaves, stack two or three leaves on top of one another, and slice them lengthwise 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining leaves and thinly slice the radicchio in the same way.
Step 3
Cut the tomatoes in half, season them with salt, and toss gently to distribute the salt.
Step 4
Combine the lettuce, radicchio, tomatoes, Ceci, provolone, salami, peperoncini, and onion slices in a large, wide bowl. Season with salt and toss to thoroughly combine the ingredients. Drizzle 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette and squeeze the lemon juice over the salad, then toss gently to coat the salad with the dressing. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, lemon juice, or vinaigrette if desired. Pile the salad on a large platter or divide it among individual plates, piling it like a mountain. Sprinkle the dried oregano on top and serve.
Suggested Wine Pairing
Step 5
Orvieto Classico Superiore (Umbria)

The Mozza Cookbook

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Suggested Wine Pairing

Step 5

Recipe notes