Picasso style salad
2 servings
10 minutes
The Picasso-style salad is a true masterpiece on a plate, inspired by the aesthetics of the great artist. Yugoslav cuisine is known for its ability to combine simple ingredients into incredible flavor and visual compositions. This salad is a play of textures and shades where crispy lettuce leaves and spicy arugula meet tender sautéed leek rings. Refreshing cherry tomatoes are anchored in drops of balsamic sauce, while spicy notes of chili pepper add heat. Sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and thin flecks of parmesan are complemented by the sophistication of truffle oil. The slight bitterness of grainy mustard adds complexity to the flavor, while paprika finishes the picture with vibrant colors. This salad is not just a dish but a work of art that is pleasing to both taste and sight.
1
Lay out the leaves of ordinary lettuce (the main thing is that they should be beautiful, as finding tasty ones is very difficult). It's best to use already dried leaves; otherwise, their fluffiness and crunchiness will be lost.
- Green salad: to taste
2
Arrange the arugula nearby in a neat pile.
- Arugula: to taste
3
Mix a small amount of balsamic vinegar and olive oil (in a 1/3 ratio) and spray the leaves with small droplets.
- Olive oil: 6 tablespoons
- Modena Balsamic Vinegar: 2 g
4
Heat a little olive oil in a pan and sauté the leek rings until soft (but not browned): they should be about 0.5 cm thick (it's important not to damage their structure or let them fall apart into separate rings).
- Olive oil: 6 tablespoons
- White part of leek: 1 piece
5
Take 4 cherry tomatoes. Squeeze balsamic sauce (not vinegar) onto a plate — about 1/4 teaspoon each. You should get 4 thick drops that the cherry tomatoes stick to. Leave one tomato on the branch and cut it almost to the base, then insert a few arugula leaves into it.
- Balsamic sauce: to taste
- Cherry tomatoes: 4 pieces
6
Place fresh half-moons of celery in front of the tomatoes (in the photo, they are under the peppers) - I have 3 of them, just like the small tomatoes.
- Chopped celery stalk: 60 g
7
Place pickled chili peppers on the celery (this is optional. I got them from Italy, but I think they are also sold in Moscow, though they are not always available, and not everyone likes spiciness).
- Pickled Chili Peppers: 3 pieces
8
Now the task is simple: cut the olives in half and place them next to the tomatoes, and arrange the leek rings next to them.
- Pitted olives: 2 pieces
- White part of leek: 1 piece
9
As an addition, I added sun-dried tomatoes (without oil!) and crumbled hard cheese on arugula (the cheese should be firm and preferably good; otherwise, it's better to skip it).
- Sun-dried tomatoes: 2 pieces
- Parmesan cheese: to taste
10
I decorated the empty center of the plate with paprika, added a few drops of truffle oil on top (it creates extraordinary swirls that beautifully complement the geometry of the other ingredients). You can also add some mustard seeds.
- Sweet paprika: to taste
- Truffle oil: to taste
- Grainy mustard: 0.3 teaspoon