Printable Area
Quid Nunc String Bean Salad with Creamy Watercress Dressing
Courtesy of Kitchen Conspirators
- Total Time:
- 1 hr 20 min
- Prep:
- 20 min |
- Inactive Prep:
- -- |
- Cook:
- 1 hr
- Level:
- Intermediate
- Yield:
- 20 servings
Ingredients
- STRING BEAN SALAD:
- 6 cups fresh string beans
- 3 red onions
- 12 ounces arugula
- Dill
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved, yolks removed and crumbled
- PARSLEY PESTO:
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- CREAMY WATERCRESS DRESSING:
- 4 bunches watercress, washed
- 3 ounces Fromage d'Auvergne (or any bleu cheese)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 ounces sour cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Quid Nunc String Bean:
Trim, rinse and dry string beans thoroughly. Rinse and dry arugula thoroughly. Slice red onion into thin rings. Saute onions lightly in olive oil until translucent; reserve. In a large saucepan, heat water to a slight boil. Add string beans, and cook for 45 seconds. Strain in a colander and rinse the beans quickly with cold water. Trim, rinse and dry dill. Chop it roughly.
Parsley Pesto:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor.Pulse until thoroughly pureed. Add additional olive oil if you want a smoother pesto. Salt to taste.
Creamy Watercress Dressing (Yeild 2 cups):
Roughly chop 3 bunches of watercress (reserve 1), place it in a medium saucepan and add buttermilk so that it is just covered. Warm the buttermilk over low heat for 5 minutes and remove from heat. Let cool at room temperature for up to 1 hour. This will steep the watercress and allow its flavor to be extracted. In a food processor, puree the buttermilk and watercress mixture, along with the reserved buttermilk and watercress. Add salt and pepper, Fromage d'Auvergne, vinegar, 1 bunch watercress and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Assemble:
Toss arugula, dill and red onions in Creamy Watercress Dressing until coated. Place in center of the plate, lay string beans along the edge and set the hard-boiled egg white atop the greens. Fill the center of the egg white with parsley pesto. Garnish with crumbled egg yolks.
Series: Kitchen Conspirators
Episode: High Society - Dinner (Ep. 2: Part 6)