Chilled Green Pea Soup with Daniel Boulud

HELLO, I'M JULIA CHILD.

WELCOME TO MY HOUSE AND TO MY KITCHEN AND TO ANOTHER CULINARY ADVENTURE WITH TWO OF AMERICA'S MASTER CHEFS.

TODAY, A LITTLE TOUCH OF GREEN IN MY KITCHEN WITH DANIEL BOULUD CHEF AND OWNER OF RESTAURANT DANIEL, IN NEW YORK CITY.

AND GORDON HAMERSLEY CHEF/OWNER OF HAMERSLEY'S BISTRO, IN BOSTON.

TH CHEF DANIEL IS GOING TO START OUT WITH A PERFECTLY BEAUTIFUL COLD PEA SOUP GARNISHED WITH ROSEMARY AND BACON.

AND LOOK AT ALL THESE PEAS.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO START WITH, THE BACON?

YES, WE HAVE FO UR KIND OF PEAS AND WE'RE GOING TO START WI TH THE BACON FOR THE SOUP.

THAT'S SLAB BACON, YEAH.

SL AB BACON.

SO IF YOU CAN'T GET SLAB WE CAN GET THICK SLICED AND CUT THE BA CON IN BIG CUBES.

DOES THAT HAVE THE RIND ON IT STILL?

YES, IT'S FINE.

YEAH.

AND IT'LL GIVE MO RE FLAVOR.

YEAH, OKAY.

YOU ALREADY HAVE SOME COOKING.

I HAVE ALREADY SO ME COOKING SO YOU WANT TO RE NDER THE FAT A LOT.

AND THEN DRAIN THE FA T OUT OF THE BACON OUT OF THE POT.

PARDON.

YES, THERE IS QUITE A BIT IN THERE.

DRAIN FAT VERY WE LL BECAUSE... WELL IT GIVES A NICE FLAVOR, DOESN'T IT?

IT GIVE TH E FLAVOR BUT THE FACT THAT IT 'S A COLD SOUP THE FAT WILL CO NGEAL INTO THE SOUP.

SO IT'S VERY IM PORTANT TO REMOVE THE FAT OF THE BA CON ONCE IT'S ROASTED AND PUT A LITTLE BIT OF OLIVE OIL.

YOU WOULD LIKE TO HE LP ME WITH THAT?

YES.

AND THE OLIVE OIL WILL HELP FOR THE SWEATING OF THE LEEKS CELERY AND ONION TH AT IS GOING IN TO THE SOUP.

THE NEXT STEP WE'RE GOING TO START WITH TH E CHOPPING OF THE LEEKS.

THOSE ARE PR ETTY BIG.

SOMETIMES THEY COME SM ALLER, BIGGER.

UM HMM.

WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT THEY DON'T HA VE THE ROOT INSIDE AND THOSE ARE VE RY TENDER.

YOU HAVE TO WASH THEM VERY CAREFUL?

YES, VERY MUCH.

SO THEY GE T SPLIT.

THE BEST IS TO SPLIT TH EM IN FOUR LIKE THIS.

ALMOST LIKE AN UMBRELLA.

AND THEN WE WASH THEM IN TO A WATER BATH OR SOAK TH EM FOR... YEAH.

GET ALL THE SAND OUT.

GET THE SAND OUT AN D THEN DRAIN.

AND HERE I HAVE LEEKS WHO HA VE BEEN ALREADY PRE-WASHED.

CUT THEM IN...

THE MAIN THING IS DON'T HAVE TO BE PR ECISELY OF A SIZE BUT SMALL ENOUGH SO IT CAN SWEAT WELL.

UM HMM.

AND SORT OF DISCARD TH E ROOT PART.

AND WE HAVE ENOUGH LE EKS HERE FOR... AND THE QUANTITY I WOULD SA Y BETWEEN THE LEEKS THE ONION AND TH E CELERY WILL BE NO RMALLY ROUGHLY ONE THIRD OF THOSE INGREDIENTS FOR TWO THIRDS OF PEAS.

AND THE ONION, I'M USING SWEET ONIONS SO THOSE ARE FRESH FROM TH E MARKET, LOCAL ONION.

BUT WE CAN USE ALSO, IF THE ONION IS BIGGER OR SCALLION ALSO WO RKS VERY WELL.

THESE GET SP LIT.

THESE ARE ALL GOING TO BE DICED UP AGAIN?

YES.

ALSO, TAKE OUT THE RO OT PART A LITTLE BIT.

AND HERE, AGAIN THE FACT THAT IT'S GOING TO SWEAT INTO THE SOUP WORKS VERY WELL.

WE DON'T HA VE TO WORRY ABOUT PRECISELY HOW IT'S CHOPPED.

YEAH.

JUST A MINCING, QU ICK MINCING.

BUT IT'S ALWAYS BETTER TO DO IT WITH A KNIFE.

IT'S AWFUL TO CHOP AN ONION WI TH A PROCESSING BLENDER.

IT ALSO MAKES IT KIND OF A STRANGE ODOR I THINK, SOMETIMES?

ABSOLUTELY, IT 'S TERRIBLE.

AND IT WILL REALLY RU IN THE SOUP.

AND I'M GOING TO ADD TH E ONION TO THE SOUP.

THAT'S A NICE SMELL ALREADY.

ALREADY, YEAH.

AND IT'S VERY IM PORTANT TO SWEAT IT UNTIL IT BECOMES VE RY, VERY SOFT AND THE SUGAR IS CO MING OUT OF THE ONION OF THE LEEKS.

WE'RE GOING TO PU T SOME CELERY.

THAT'S A GOOD WAY OF DOING THE CELERY.

JUST KEEPING IT IN A BUNCH AND THAT MAKES IT SO MUCH EASIER TO CHOP.

YES.

VERY MUCH UP TO TH E HEART, YEAH... AND THAT'S ADDED TO THE SOUP.

WE'RE GOING TO ADD THE RO SEMARY NOW AFTER THAT WHICH IS FRESH RO SEMARY.

I LOVE THE FLAVOR.

HMM.

YEAH, THAT'S LOVELY.

VERY STRONG, BUT IT'S VERY DEFINITE.

WE'LL ADD A WHOLE ST EM OF IT INSIDE.

IT'S STARTING TO SW EAT VERY WELL.

THOSE ARE LOOKING...

THIS HAS BEEN SW EATING NOW FOR ABOUT SEVEN TO TEN MINUTES.

THAT'S PERFECT, IT 'S NICE AND SOFT.

SO WE'RE GOING TO START TO ADD THE PEAS INTO IT.

I ADD THE SNOW PE AS RIGHT HERE.

I SWEAT ALSO A LITTLE BIT OF THE PEAS INTO THE SOUP THE SUGAR SNAPS.

UM HMM.

THE ENGLISH PEA, RE GULAR PEAS.

A FASCINATING BEGINNING I MUST SAY.

AND SORT OF GET THE PEAS TO A TEMPERATURE WHERE THEY WILL COOK VE RY FAST AS WELL ONCE WE'RE GOING TO POUR TH E CHICKEN STOCK OVER.

RIGHT NOW I'M GOING TO ADD SOME SALT.

I'M ADDING A LITTLE BI T OF SEASONING TO IT.

AND THEN WE'LL ALWAYS TA STE AT THE END HOW IT WO ULD TASTE.

JULIA, THE PEAS HA VE BEEN SWEATING FOR ABOUT SEVEN TO TEN MINUTES AND THEY'RE VERY GL OSSY, VERY SHINY.

YOU CAN EVEN SMELL TH E FLAVOR OF PEAS.

HMM, THEY'RE WONDERFUL... NO W, WE'RE GOING TO ADD THE FAVA BECAUSE THEY'VE BE EN BLANCHED THEY CAN BE AD DED AT THE END.

AH, YOU DON'T WANT TO OVERCOOK THEM.

OV ERCOOK TH EM, AND...

ISN'T THAT A BEAUTIFUL COLOR IN THERE?

YES THEY AR E, REALLY.

AND THAT GETS TO SSED IN.

AND WE'LL ADD THE CHICKEN ST OCK AT THIS POINT.

SO, THE PEAS ARE VERY HOT.

AND I'LL HAND THAT TO YOU.

I'LL HELP YOU.

EV ERYTHING IS... BE CAREFUL, JULIA.

THERE YOU ARE.

VE RY GOOD.

AND I WILL POUR THE STOCK UP TO THE LEVEL OF THE PEA.

ABOUT THAT.

IT'S ALWAYS BETTER TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT LESS LIQUID AND DECIDE ONCE WE'RE GO ING TO BLEND THE SOUP IF IT NEED A LI TTLE BIT MORE.

YOU COULD ALWAYS ADD MORE, YES.

AND IT'S ALWAYS HARD TO RETRIEVE LIQUID ONCE THE SOUP IS BLENDED.

IT CERTAINLY IS.

SO THIS WILL BO IL NOW FOR...

I'M GOING TO ADD ALSO A LITTLE BIT OF PA RSLEY TO IT.

UM HMM.

SO THAT IS... THAT'S ITALIAN PARSLEY... YE S. WITH MORE FLAVOR, YES.

IT ALIAN PARSLEY.

THAT WILL COOK WI TH THE PEAS FOR ABOUT SE VEN MINUTES.

IT'S IN THE FINISHING OF TH E COOKING OF THE SOUP.

AND THAT WILL SUSTAIN A LI TTLE BIT OF THE COLOR AND GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF TH E FLAVOR OF THE DISH.

NOW THAT'S DONE, IS IT?

YES, NOW THE PE AS ARE DONE.

THE IMPORTANT TH ING NOW IS TO COOL TH EM VERY FAST.

OH, SO TO KEEP THE COLOR.

TO STOP THEM COOKING AN D KEEP THE COLOR.

SO I HAVE AN IC E BATH HERE.

I'M GOING TO PUT SOME SALT ON THE ICE TO... THAT WILL MAKE IT EVEN COLDER.

COLDER FOR THE CO OLING OF THE SOUP.

THEN I'M JUST GOING TO POUR TH E SOUP DIRECTLY INTO THE BOWL.

AND WHILE IT 'S COOLING I'M GOING TO START TO REMOVE THE BACON AND THE DIFFERENT, TH E ROSEMARY STEM AND THE PIECE OF BACON- BECAUSE THEY WO N'T GET BLENDED.

THIS IS GOING TO BE PUREED?

YE S. AFTER WE'LL PASS IT TH ROUGH THE BLENDER.

TAKE OUT ALL FOREIGN MATTER.

THAT'S WHY IT'S PRACTICAL WH EN THEY'RE CUT BIG- THE BACON, BECAUSE TH EY'RE VERY EASY TO... YOU CAN SEE THEM.

AND IF BY MISTAKE YOU LEAVE A PIECE IT WON'T BE SO DRAMATIC.

IT WILL BE OKAY.

WE CAN ALWAYS STRAIN TH E SOUP AND...

SO THIS WILL TAKE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES OF COOLING FIVE TO TEN MINUTES OF COOLING.

THE SOUP IS CO OL ENOUGH.

WE CAN REMOVE IT FROM THE ICE.

NOW I'M GOING TO BL END THE SOUP UNTIL VERY SMOOTH AND KEEP IT CHILLED.

VOILA.

YOU STILL NEED A BLENDER IN A KITCHEN, BECAUSE... OF COURSE, RI GHT...

THE FOOD PROCESSOR REALLY HASN'T TAKEN ITS PLACE?

NO, PLUS YOU WANT THE SOUP TO GET VERY, VERY SMOOTH.

YEAH.

VOILA, THIS IS THE LAST BATCH OF THE SOUP.

THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL COLOR, ISN'T IT.

TO BE STRAINED.

IT'S JUST LOVELY.

THANK YOU, YES.

AND IT'S A PURE CO NCENTRATION OF PEA FLAVOR IN TO THE SOUP.

OKAY, SO TH AT'S FINE.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE PULP THERE?

YOU CAN USE IT AND MAKE RA VIOLI IF YOU LIKE.

OH, THAT'S RIGHT.

YOU CAN MAKE PEA RA VIOLI WITH IT.

THAT'S WHY THEY MADE RAVIOLIS.

NOW THIS SOUP WE CAN KEEP IT IN THE RE FRIGERATOR FOR A FEW HOURS.

EVEN IT CAN BE DONE A DA Y AHEAD AND COVERED.

AT THIS POINT, IT JUST NE ED TO BE RE-SEASONED TASTED AND SEASONED AND CHILLED IN TH E REFRIGERATOR.

AND CHILLED, FINE.

WHILE THE SOUP WI LL BE CHILLING I WILL SPEAK AB OUT THE GARNISH.

THIS IS HEAVY CREAM WHICH I'M BRINGING TO THE BOIL.

AND ADDING TO THE CREAM ABOUT ONE AND A HALF STEM OF ROSEMARY, ONE STEM.

UM HMM.

TO INFUSE- IT'S LIKE AN INFUSION OF CREAM AND ROSEMARY.

AND ABOUT TWO CL OVES OF GARLIC WHO WILL GET LIGHTLY CR USHED LIKE THIS.

PUT IT IN AND A LITTLE TO UCH OF PEPPER AND SALT.

AND LET IT COOK FO R LIGHT SIMMERING FOR ABOUT FIVE TO SEVEN MINUTES UNTIL...YOU DON'T WA NT THE CREAM TO GET TOO TH ICK EITHER.

BUT TO REALLY EXTRACT TH E FLAVOR OF THE ROSEMARY.

AND THEN THAT GETS CH ILLED TOO AFTER.

STRAINED AN D CHILLED.

THE OTHER GARNISH AL SO IS BACON.

I HAVE SOME BA CON HERE.

AND THE BACON HAS BEEN CO OKED IN THE OVEN TILL IT GETS NICE, VE RY NICE AND BROWN.

YEAH.

THEN DRAINED VERY WELL, PA T DRY IN A PAPER TOWEL AND GRIND INTO A FOOD PROCESSOR OR BY HAND.

I MEAN IT CAN BE GRIND WI TH A KNIFE, CHOPPED FINELY.

THAT'S REALLY... AND THEN GETTING TO A VERY FI NE BACON POWDER, ALMOST.

THAT'S GOING TO BE NICE.

AND THAT'S THE SECOND GARNISH TO THE SOUP.

THE THIRD IS SOME TINY, TI NY LITTLE CROUTONS.

WHICH...

WHICH ARE TINY.

I USE FOR THAT, I USE WHITE BREAD.

CUT IN TINY LI TTLE DICE LIKE THIS.

AND THEY GE T COOKED INTO A LITTLE BIT OF OL IVE OIL IN THE HOT PAN.

A LITTLE BIT OF OLIVE OIL AND A STEM OF ROSEMARY AN D A CLOVE OF GARLIC WHICH YOU PUT ON AND TOSS THEM UNTIL TH EY GET VERY CRISPY AND BROWN A LI TTLE BIT.

AND THE PROCESS IS VE RY SIMPLE HERE.

BUT ALL TH E GARNISH YOU WANT THE GARNISH TO BE CUT IN... LITTLE TINY THINGS.

TI NY LITTLE DI CE, YES BECAUSE WITH A SMOOTH SOUP LI KE THIS IT GOES VERY WELL.

UM HMM.

JUST LIKE THIS.

THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY PRETTY.

AND THAT'S TH E CROUTONS.

THE CREAM WILL BE ALMOST COOKED.

WE CAN COOL IT AFTER.

YES, YOU CAN SMELL THAT- THAT'S A VERY, VERY FRAGRANT.

ABSOLUTELY.

MMM.

THAT HAS TO BE CHILLED AND THEN YOU'RE READY TO GO.

AB SOLUTELY.

NOW THE SOUP IS OUT OF THE REFRIGERATOR.

OHHH.

THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL COLOR, ISN'T IT?

AND IT'S CHILLED.

THAT'S JUST LOVELY.

YE AH, IT'S A LOVELY SOUP.

I'M GOING TO PL ATE SOME.

WITH A GREEN AND WHITE PLATE.

IT WOULD BE DELICIOUS HOT TOO, WOULDN'T IT?

COULD BE, AB SOLUTELY.

IT'S ALSO DELICIOUS HO T, BUT IT'S...

IT'S A COLD SPECIALTY.

AS A SPRING AN D SUMMER IT'S VERY REFRESHING AS A COLD SOUP.

AND THAT'S WHEN ALL THE PEAS ARE IN... YE S. ARE IN BLOOM.

AND THE GARNISH, I WI LL STRAIN THE CREAM.

THE CREAM HA S BEEN... WELL THAT'S BEEN CHILLED.

REDUCED, CH ILLED AND... AND THAT'S THE GARLIC CLOVES.

AND WE'LL STRAIN THE RO SEMARY AND THE GARLIC.

YEAH.

ONCE IT'S COLD AND IT HAS CO OLED OFF A LITTLE BIT IT SORT OF COATS A LITTLE BETTER.

IT'S NOT VERY THICK, IT 'S STILL VERY LIGHT.

THE GARNISH ALSO CONSISTS OF SOME OF THE PEAS.

YOU KEEP ALWAYS A LI TTLE BIT OF PEAS ASIDE WHICH HAS BEEN BOILED IN SALTED WATER.

HERE WE HAVE SOME FAVA BE ANS, SOME ENGLISH PEAS AND SOME SNOW PEAS.

WE'LL JUST CU T SIMPLY INTO SMALLER SE CTION LIKE THIS.

AND THAT WILL GO INTO THE SOUP.

OR IT CAN GO INTO THE SO UP TUREEN AS WELL.

NO DIFFERENCE IF... THEN YOU HAVE TEXTURE TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE EATING.

ABSOLUTELY.

A REMINDER.

A REMINDER.

THEN A LITTLE BI T OF CREAM TO IT.

AND THAT CAN BE A LI TTLE DABS LIKE THIS.

OTHERWISE, IT'S JUST ABOUT A FAT-FREE SOUP.

VERY MUCH.

IF YOU LIKE THAT KIND OF THING.

I THINK THE CR EAM BRINGS OUT THE FLAVOR OF THE ROSEMARY.

OH, YES.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT.

BECAUSE AS YOU TA STE THE SOUP FIRST YOU TASTE A LI TTLE BIT OF THE CREAM AND IT GIVES YOU A ST RONG FLAVOR OF ROSEMARY.

AND THEN AFTER THE RO SEMARY FLAVOR CARRIES ON A LITTLE BI T INTO THE SOUP.

I CAN SMELL THAT ROSEMARY IN THERE.

THE CROUTONS GIVE A LI TTLE CRUNCH TO IT.

A LITTLE BIT OF CROUTONS.

WELL, THAT'S SO PRETTY.

THE BACON BRING THE SA LTINESS INTO THE SOUP BECAUSE IT'S SO SWEET... AH, HA.

ALL THOSE PE AS AND LEEKS.

YES.

SO THE BACON WILL BRING TH E SALTINESS TO THE SOUP.

WELL, THAT'S SO PRETTY.

YES, READY FOR YO U JULIA.

I'LL BE SURE TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING.

A LITTLE BIT OF EV ERYTHING.

THE PEAS AND THE CR EAM, AND THE BACON.

MMM.

YOU FEEL THE BACON IT GI VES ENOUGH BITE TO IT.

YEAP.

THAT'S JUST LOVELY.

THAT'S ONE OF THE STARS OF YOUR RESTAURANT, ISN'T IT?

VERY MUCH, IT'S A ST AR DISH THIS ONE.

UM, JUST LOVELY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, JULIA.

GORDON HAMERSLEY IS GOING TO SHOW US THE REAL SECRETS OF MAKING THE PERFECT GREEN SALAD.

I HAD A BEAUTIFUL ONE AT YOUR RESTAURANT AND I THOUGHT EVERYONE WOULD ENJOY SEEING JUST WHAT YOU DO.

OKAY, WELL, I'D LIKE TO DO THAT.

OBVIOUSLY, THE THING THAT YOU START WITH FIRST AND FOREMOST IS GREAT SALAD GREENS.

WE'RE SOAKING TH EM HERE.

WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT KI NDS OF RED LEAF LETTUCE AND SOME PARSLEY, SO ME FLAT LEAF PARSLEY.

AND I THOUGHT WE'D USE SO ME WATERCRESS TODAY.

OH, GOOD.

AND, BASICALLY, AL L YOU DO IS YOU VERY GENTLY WA SH THE LETTUCES IN COLD WATER.

THEN TRANSFER THEM INTO OU R SALAD SPINNER HERE.

I REMEMBER BEFORE SALAD SPINNERS WERE INVENTED.

PEOPLE WOULD USE PILLOW CASES.

RI GHT.

AND THERE WERE WIRE BASKETS AND YOU SWUNG THEM AROUND YOUR HEAD.

YEAP.

ACTUALLY, ONE AF TERNOON WE BROKE OUR SALAD SP INNER AT THE RESTAURANT AND I HAD ALL OF THE COOKS OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF TREMONT STREET WAVING PILLOW CASES AR OUND THEIR HEADS.

HA.

SO, WE'RE JUST GOING TO START SPINNING.

BASICALLY YOU JUST SPIN AL L THE WATER OUT OF IT.

IT'S TERRIBLY IMPORTANT TO GET IT ALL DRY, ISN'T IT?

IT'S VERY IM PORTANT.

WHEN THE DRESSING CO ATS THE LEAVES YOU DON'T WANT ANY EXCESS MOISTURE BECAUSE IT JUST DILUTES THE DRESSING THAT YOU'VE MADE.

I'LL DRY IT A LI TTLE BIT MORE AND THEN WE'LL PUT IT RI GHT INTO OUR SALAD BOWL.

THERE'S TH AT PART.

I'M GOING TO MAKE THE SALAD DRESSING NOW.

START WITH MI NCING A SHALLOT.

WHAT DID WE DO WITHOUT SHALLOTS BECAUSE THEY'RE SO LOVELY?

OR THEY'D JUST USE SCALLIONS?

YEAH BECAUSE TH EY'RE NOT AS... UM, YES, YEAH.

THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT ONION FL AVOR THAT YOU COULD USE BUT THE SHALLOT I REALLY LOVE I DO TOO.

FOR THE DR ESSING FLAVOR.

AND WE SHOULD MINCE IT UP PRETTY FINELY HERE.

THESE DAYS WE STILL CUT TH E SHALLOTS WITH A KNIFE IN THE RE STAURANT JUST BECAUSE IF YOU DO IT IN A FOOD PROCESSOR TOO MUCH WATER COMES OUT OF IT AND IT DOESN'T... YEAH.

I THINK IT CHANGES, SORT OF MASHES IT.

DEFINITELY.

WE'LL PUT A LITTLE DI JON MUSTARD.

NOT HOT DOG?

NOPE.

AND THEN SOME SH ERRY VINEGAR.

AH.

SALT.

A LITTLE PEPPER.

PEPPER.

AND WE'LL JUST MI X THIS AROUND.

WE MIGHT NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE VI NEGAR, I THINK WE DO.

IT'S GOOD TO GET A NICE BALANCE BETWEEN THE VINEGAR AN D THE MUSTARD.

YOU DON'T WANT IT TO BE OVERLY MUSTARD-Y BUT YOU STILL NE ED TO HAVE...

NOR OVERLY VINEGARY.

EX ACTLY.

NOW WE'RE GOING TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF THYME HERE.

WE HAVE SOME BE AUTIFUL... OH, FRESH THYME.

IT'S WONDERFUL THAT WE GET FRESH HERBS NOW THAT'S GREAT.

TH AT'S TRUE.

JUST CUT THEM UP A LITTLE BIT.

IF THE STEMS ARE TENDER, TH EY'RE DEFINITELY EDIBLE.

AND IF THEY'RE NO T, THEY'RE NOT.

BUT THIS IS THE NICE TOPS SO THAT WORKS PR ETTY WELL.

NOW WE'RE GOING TO ADD OUR OIL.

VERY, VERY GOOD OIL.

GOOD OIL.

VERY IMPORTANT.

I NEVER USE THAT KIND OF VEGETABLE OIL, DO YOU?

NO .

DEFINITELY NOT FOR SA LADS, THAT'S FOR SURE.

AND I THINK THOSE BOTTLED DRESSINGS ARE REALLY HORRID BECAUSE THEY USE LIKE MACHINE OIL OR SOMETHING.

YEAH, I DON'T KN OW WHAT THEY USE.

I DON'T KNOW, BUT THEY'RE... AND WHY WHEN IT'S SO EASY TO MAKE A DRESSING?

ESPECIALLY IF YO U MAKE IT UP A LITTLE BIT MO RE THAN YOU NEED AND KEEP IT IN A JAR AND JUST GIVE IT A SH AKE AND IT'S READY.

UM HMM.

IT'S CERTAINLY NOT GO ING TO GO BAD ON YOU.

AND, JUST START DR IZZLING IN OUR OIL.

NOW IS THIS A VIRGIN OIL?

IT IS.

THE MAIN THING WITH OLIVE OIL IS TASTE IT.

RI GHT.

BECAUSE SOME EXTRA VIRGINS ARE BADLY MADE.

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT KI NDS, DIFFERENT STYLES.

WE USE A GREEK OIL US UALLY IN THE RESTAURANT.

BUT WE'VE USED A SPANISH EX TRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL AS WELL AS AN ITALIAN.

WELL I LIKE THE FRENCH OILS.

OH, SO DO I.

DEFINITELY A VERY DIFFERENT TASTE.

YEAP.

NICE EMULSION THERE AND IT SHOULD BE PRETTY TH ICK, BUT NOT TOO THICK.

I TEND TO LIKE A FAIR AMOUNT OF VINEGAR IN MY DRESSINGS.

SOME PEOPLE DON'T, BUT I TEND TO LIKE THEM PRETTY VINEGARY.

HOW'S THAT TASTE?

I DON'T THINK YOU CAN SAY PROPORTIONS.

I THINK ONE TO THREE IS TOO MUCH VINEGAR FOR MY TASTE.

RI GHT.

IS THAT TOO VINEGARY?

VERY GOOD, UM HMM.

OKAY.

YOU HAVE TO DO IT BY TASTE, DON'T YOU?

IT 'S TRUE.

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

I MEAN, IT'S REALLY AN IMPORTANT THING JUST TO KEEP TA STING ALL THE TIME.

SO THE NEXT THING WE'RE GOING TO DO IS TO TOSS OU R SALAD.

IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT STEP IN MAKING A GOOD SALAD.

THE OTHER TH ING IS THAT WE DON'T WANT TO PU T OUR DRESSING ON BEFORE WE REALLY WA NT TO EAT IT.

JUST BEFORE.

JUST BEFORE.

RI GHT.

BECAUSE IT WILTS THE LETTUCE, DOESN'T IT?

RIGHT.

SO WE'LL POUR A LITTLE BIT OF DRESSING OVER THE TOP.

YOU DON'T WANT TO PUT TOO MUCH SO THAT IT DRENCHES TH E LETTUCE LEAVES.

AND WE TOSS TH E SALAD MAKING SURE THAT YOU KIND OF TOSS AND FOLD IT OVER.

AND MAKING SURE THAT TH E LETTUCE LEAVES GET FULLY COATED WI TH THE DRESSING.

IT'S AWFULLY NICE HAVING A COLLECTION OF GREENS, ISN'T IT?

IT IS, AND YOU KNOW IF YO U USE THE WATERCRESS IT ADDS A LITTLE BIT OF A HOT FLAVOR TO THE SALAD.

THE PARSLEY ADDS SO ME SWEETNESS AND THE TWO DI FFERENT KINDS OF GREEN LE AF LETTUCES ADDS KIND OF A SO FTNESS TO THE PALATE.

AND, OF COURSE YOU CAN VARY THAT FR OM SEASON TO SEASON.

OH, YES.

SO THIS IS PRETTY WELL COATED HERE.

NOW WE CAN TASTE IT.

WE CAN TASTE IT, AB SOLUTELY.

THAT'S THE IM PORTANT PART.

MAKE SURE THAT TH E DRESSING IS ADHERING TO THE LETTUCE AN D IT TASTES GOOD.

THAT'S REALLY GOOD.

YEAH, WE NE ED A LITTLE...

I HATE IT WHEN SOMETIME YOU'RE SERVED THE SALAD THEY JUST POUR THE DRESSING OVER THE TOP.

OH, I KNOW.

AND NONE OF IT GETS INTO IT.

RI GHT.

THAT'S VERY GOOD, THANK YOU.

TH ANKS.

SURE, ABSOLUTELY.

SHALL WE PUT SO ME ON THE PLATE?

UM HMM.

THE OTHER NICE THING AB OUT MAKING SALAD IS GETTING IT ON TO THE PLATE IN A WAY THAT IS ATTRACTIVE.

AND OFTEN WH AT YOU DO IF YOU CAN LIFT THE LE AVES UP A LITTLE BIT AS YOU PUT THEM ON TO THE PLATE THEN IT ADDS SO ME HEIGHT.

HMM, YES.

THAT'S LOVELY, GORDON.

TH ANKS.

THANK YOU.

BON APPETIT.