Salade de Légumes

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •One 4-quart saucepan and one 3-quart saucepan
• •Spider or broad slotted spoon
• •Large shallow serving platter, about 14 inches (35 cm)
• •Small melon baller, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Shape the vegetables

   Prepare every vegetable before heating the water, keeping each kind in its own bowl. Use a small melon baller for the carrots and turnips if one is already in your drawer; otherwise cut both into neat ½-inch (1.5 cm) dice. Their quantities and size must remain equal. Cut the potatoes to match, slice the French beans on a long diagonal into lozenges, trim the asparagus tips, and leave the cauliflower as one compact crown. Fill the serving platter with hot tap water so it warms while you work, then empty and dry it thoroughly before arranging the salad.

   The old grooved spoon-cutter made decorative ridges, but even size controls the cooking. The ornament is scaffolding; uniform pieces are technique.
2. 2

   Whisk the vinaigrette

   Reserve ¼ teaspoon of the salt for the dressing. Whisk it into the white wine vinegar until dissolved, then whisk in the oil gradually to make a loose vinaigrette, the oil-and-vinegar dressing. Set it beside the warm platter with a spoon and the chopped herbs. The vinaigrette will separate while it waits, which is its nature; whisk it briefly each time you use it.

3. 3

   Ready two pots

   Bring one large and one medium saucepan of water to a brisk boil, dividing the remaining salt between them. Set a spider or slotted spoon beside the stove. The two pots replace the brigade's several pans and extra hands: they let the vegetables finish within minutes of one another without mixing their shapes or flavours.

4. 4

   Cook in sequence

   Lower the cauliflower into the large pot and the carrots into the medium pot at the same time. Simmer the carrots for 4 to 5 minutes, until a knife enters with slight resistance; lift them out, let the water sheet away for 30 seconds, and form the first heap on the platter. Add the turnips to that pot and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. After 8 to 10 minutes, lift the cauliflower when its thick stem is tender, drain it crown-side down, and stand it in the middle of the platter. Add the potatoes to the large pot for 5 to 7 minutes. Continue in the medium pot with the French beans for 3 to 4 minutes, the asparagus for 2 to 3 minutes, and the peas for 1 to 2 minutes. Warm the flageolets in the large pot for the final 1 to 2 minutes. Drain every vegetable well and place it in its own heap as soon as it is ready.

   Test each batch before the clock says it is done. If a vegetable suddenly softens or the potatoes begin to fray, lift it immediately and spread it on a dry tray for a minute. Ça se rattrape. Don't rinse it in cold water, because the warmth that draws in the dressing is the point of the dish.
5. 5

   Dress while warm

   Arrange the carrots, turnips, potatoes, French beans, peas, flageolets, and asparagus as seven distinct heaps around the cauliflower. Whisk the vinaigrette and spoon it over each heap while the vegetables are still warm, giving the cauliflower its share as well. Scatter the parsley and chervil evenly over the platter. If dressing gathers beneath the vegetables, tilt the platter slightly and spoon it back over them; wet vegetables dilute vinaigrette, but careful draining keeps the seasoning bright.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Let the salad stand for 5 to 10 minutes so the warm vegetables take in the oil, vinegar, and herbs. Serve warm or at room temperature, with a broad spoon so each guest can take from several heaps without dismantling the cauliflower crown. For a potluck, carry it loosely covered and serve within 2 hours; for a longer journey, refrigerate it and let it lose its deep chill for 30 minutes before serving. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose waxy potatoes such as Charlotte, fingerling, or Yukon Gold. A floury potato breaks at the edges and clouds the water; if that is what you have, cut it slightly larger and begin testing early.
• •Frozen peas and canned flageolets are honest pantry choices. Add the peas directly from the freezer and warm drained flageolets gently, because a hard boil splits their skins.
• •Asparagus is best when its season gives you tight tips and juicy stalks. If the fresh bunches are woody and tired, use good frozen asparagus tips directly from the freezer, cook them for about a minute, and expect a slightly softer result.
• •Chervil is part of the flavour, not a decorative afterthought. Its tender, faintly anise-scented leaves belong beside parsley here; tarragon is far stronger and is not an equal exchange.
• •A dry Loire white with lively acidity sits well beside the vinegar and green vegetables. Keep the bottle cool, set the whole platter down, and let everyone disturb those handsome heaps for themselves.

Advance Preparation

• •Shape the carrots and turnips, cut the French beans, trim the asparagus, and prepare the cauliflower up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate each vegetable separately in a covered container so their moisture and aromas remain their own.
• •The potatoes can be diced up to 8 hours ahead and held under cold water in the refrigerator. Drain and dry them before cooking so loose surface starch does not cloud the pot.
• •Whisk the oil and vinegar up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate them in a covered jar. Bring the dressing to room temperature and whisk again before use; chop the parsley and chervil only shortly before serving.
• •The finished salad is best within 2 hours of cooking. Leftovers can be refrigerated for 1 day, then allowed to stand for 30 minutes before serving, though the vegetables will no longer have the lively warmth the original instruction prizes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)