Featured Recipe:
Pear Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
One of our recent Special Salads at Sarello's featured a Warm Bacon Dressing. We have received so many requests for the recipe that we are putting in the spotlight this week as our Featured Recipe. You can serve it however you like, but we've included a salad preparation, too. The dressing works especially well with fresh spinach leaves. Last week's featured recipe was our Classic Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, and you can find it in the list to the left, along with many other features from The Lost Italian.
Have a great week/end and let me know if you try this or any of my recipes. And always remember – the Kitchen is open so stop in to say hello!
~ Chef Tony
Pear Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
Serves: 4 to 6
Dressing Ingredients:
1/2 red onion, sliced
4 pieces of bacon
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup red wine
2 oz. Marsala wine
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
Salt to taste
Slurry Mixture:
3 level tablespoons corn starch
1 oz. cold water
Directions:
Cook the bacon in a sauce pot over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until lightly browned. Add the onions and saute with the bacon for another three minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except the slurry, and simmer over medium heat until reduced by half. Season with salt to taste, then prepare the cold slurry mixture. Add the slurry to the simmering dressing. The mixture should thicken immediately. Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve or strainer. Serve immediately or store for later use.
To store: Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week.
Tony’s Tip: This dressing is best when served on individual salads or on the side. It is best served warm, so if using after refrigeration, be sure to heat it up in the microwave or on the stove top.
Salad Ingredients:
1 bag fresh spinach leaves
1 cup bleu cheese, crumbled
3 Bartlett pears, thinly sliced length-wise with peel on, no more than 1/4-inch thick
1 cup whole pecans
Directions:
Toss all ingredients together. Serve on individual plates and drizzle with warm bacon dressing, or pass in a large bowl with the dressing on the side.