Chef Ally
Arugula with Shaved Pecorino and Lemon
Peppery arugula leaves tossed in nothing but fresh lemon and good olive oil, showered with curls of aged pecorino. A salad that proves the best cooking is knowing when to get out of the way.
Culinary Explorer
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Little Gems with Lemon and Parmesan
Created by
Crisp little gem lettuces halved and dressed at the last moment with bright lemon, fruity olive oil, and thin shards of parmesan that cling to every leaf. The kind of salad that reminds you why simplicity works.
Salads
California
Weeknight
Quick Meal
10 min
Active Time
0 min cook•10 min total
Yield4 servings
Little gems are the lettuces I reach for when I want something with structure but no bitterness. They are compact, sweet, and hold a dressing without wilting into defeat. At the market, look for heads that feel heavy for their size, with leaves wrapped tight around the center and no browning at the cut end. That browning tells you days have passed since harvest. You want aliveness.
This salad belongs to the tradition of doing almost nothing to perfect ingredients. You split the heads lengthwise, keeping them intact so each person gets a dramatic half on their plate. The dressing is barely a recipe: fresh lemon juice, your best olive oil, a pinch of sea salt. The parmesan should be shaved so thin it nearly dissolves on contact.
Dress this moments before serving. The lemon will begin to soften the leaves within minutes, and what you want is that first bright shock of acid against the cold crunch. Every meal is a meaningful choice. When the lettuce is this good, getting out of the way is the whole technique.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
little gem lettuce
Quantity
4 heads (about 1 pound total)
fresh lemon juice
Quantity
3 tablespoons
from about 1 large lemon
extra-virgin olive oil
Quantity
1/4 cup
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste
black pepper
Quantity
to taste
freshly cracked
parmesan cheese
Quantity
2 ounces
shaved into thin wisps
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| little gem lettuce | 4 heads (about 1 pound total) |
| fresh lemon juicefrom about 1 large lemon | 3 tablespoons |
| extra-virgin olive oil | 1/4 cup |
| fine sea salt | 1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste |
| black pepperfreshly cracked | to taste |
| parmesan cheeseshaved into thin wisps | 2 ounces |
Equipment Needed
- •Large bowl for washing greens
- •Clean kitchen towels
- •Small whisk or fork
- •Vegetable peeler for parmesan
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the lettuces
Peel away any bruised or tired outer leaves from each head of little gem. Trim just a sliver from the root end, keeping enough intact to hold the leaves together. Slice each head in half lengthwise through the core. You should have eight halves, each one a tidy arrangement of pale green to yellow leaves.
If the outer leaves look good, use them. Do not strip down to a tiny heart out of habit. The outer leaves have more flavor. - 2
Wash and dry thoroughly
Submerge the halves gently in cold water, swishing to release any grit hiding between the leaves. Lift them out and shake off excess water. Lay cut side down on a clean kitchen towel and let them drain completely. Water clinging to leaves will dilute your dressing and prevent it from clinging where it belongs.
If you have time, refrigerate the washed lettuces for thirty minutes. Cold, crisp leaves make the best salad. - 3
Make the dressing
Squeeze the lemon juice into a small bowl, fishing out any seeds. Add the salt and stir until it dissolves. Pour in the olive oil and whisk until the dressing looks slightly creamy and unified. Taste it. The balance should be bright but not puckering, with the oil rounding the acid's edges. Adjust with more salt or lemon as needed.
- 4
Dress and plate
Arrange the lettuce halves cut side up on a serving platter or divide among four plates. Spoon the dressing over each half, letting it pool in the natural channels between leaves. Use all of it. Crack black pepper generously over the top. Scatter the parmesan shavings so they land in drifts, some catching in the leaves, others resting on the plate.
- 5
Serve immediately
Bring the salad to the table the moment you finish dressing it. The leaves should still be cold and firm, the lemon sharp, the parmesan distinct. This salad does not wait. It does not improve. It exists in a moment, and that moment is now.
Eat this with your hands if you like. Pick up a half and let the dressing run down your wrist. That is how you know the proportions are right.
Chef Tips
- •At the farmers market, ask when the lettuces were cut. Same-day harvest makes a difference you can taste. The leaves should squeak slightly when you press them.
- •Your olive oil matters here more than almost anywhere else. This is not the moment for the bottle you keep for cooking. Use something grassy and alive, something you would drink from a spoon.
- •A vegetable peeler makes the best parmesan shavings. Draw it across the flat side of a wedge in long strokes. You want wisps thin enough to see through.
- •If little gems are unavailable, look for hearts of romaine or sucrine lettuce. Butter lettuce is too delicate for this treatment. You need something with spine.
Advance Preparation
- •Lettuces can be washed, dried, and refrigerated wrapped in damp towels up to one day ahead. The colder and crisper, the better.
- •The dressing can be whisked together up to two hours ahead, but give it another whisk before using. It will separate.
- •Shave the parmesan just before serving. Pre-shaved cheese dries out and loses its ability to cling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 155g)
Calories
205 calories
Total Fat
18 g
Saturated Fat
5 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
13 g
Cholesterol
13 mg
Sodium
530 mg
Total Carbohydrates
5 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
7 g
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