Farmers Market Salad with Fried Shallot

I’m hoping our run of bad eats is over. This salad was a refreshing treat! Plus healthy to boot!

Farmers Market Salad with Fried Shallot

Recipe from Epicurious, with adjustments.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound shallots (we used more like 2 shallots)
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil for frying (ok more like 1/2 cup)
6 ounces of whatever green leaf you like best (we used red romaine and baby spinach)
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
sea salt to taste
croutons
candied pecans

DIRECTIONS
Cut shallots into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Don’t cry.

In a heavy 10-inch skillet cook shallots in oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden. (The recipe says 15-20 minutes. Our shallots burned after 5. Don’t let them burn, or they will be extremely bitter. Better to undercook them than overcook them!)

With a slotted spoon transfer shallots to paper towels to drain and season with salt. Reserve 3 tablespoons oil for dressing salad and cool shallots to room temperature. (Don’t forget to save the oil!! That’s the best part of this salad!)

To make candied pecans, toss about 1/2 stick of butter and 1/2 cup of sugar into a small saucepan, along with a pinch of salt, some cinnamon, and a dash of ground ginger. Add pecans and stir until melted. Pour onto foil and let cool. Delicious!

Just before serving, in a large bowl toss together greens, reserved oil, vinegar, and sea salt. Sprinkle shallots and pecans over salad.

Grilled Flank Steak with Shallot and Red Wine Sauce

If you watched the Next Food Network Star, this recipe is from Amy, the show’s winner. While I think that the sauce from our Burgundy Steak Salad is a bit richer, this is a good and fairly simple way to make a good steak.

The potatoes are fun too… thwak them with a rolling pin and drown them in olive oil and thyme. Mmmmm.

Grilled Flank Steak with Shallot and Red Wine Sauce with Cracked Potatoes

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Amy Finley.

INGREDIENTS
For Potatoes:
12 small-medium Yukon potatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 clove garlic, sliced

4 shallots, sliced in thin rings
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (1 1/2 pound) piece flank steak
1 tablespoon cold butter, in small chunks

DIRECTIONS
Make potatoes: Using the rolling pin or a heavy pan, gently smack the potatoes, 1 potato at a time, until the skin begins to split, exposing the interior of the raw potato.

Over low heat, add the olive oil to a medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan, then add the potatoes and thyme sprigs and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the lid on the pan and allow to cook, undisturbed, shaking the pan every 5 minutes or so, until the bottoms of the potatoes are browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. (Check occasionally to make sure the potatoes aren’t browning too quickly and adjust heat accordingly.) Turn the potatoes to their second side, replace the lid, and continue cooking undisturbed a further 5 to 8 minutes.

Remove the lid and cook a further 2 to 3 minutes, for the condensation to evaporate. Remove the thyme sprigs and add the sliced garlic and chopped fresh thyme and cook until the garlic is caramelized and chewy, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.

For steak: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the shallots in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until lightly caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add the red wine and reduce by half. Add the broth and reduce by half. Check for seasoning, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm on low heat.

Brush the flank steak on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Place on the center of grill and sear 5 to 8 minutes per side for rare to medium rare, testing by pressing the meat with a finger: The spongier the meat feels, the rarer it is cooked. Remove from the grill and allow to rest, very loosely tented with aluminum foil, 5 to 10 minutes, to allow the juices to reabsorb into the meat. Slice the flank steak on the diagonal and place on a large platter. Finish the sauce by swirling in the chunks of cold butter, then top the steak with some of the sauce and serve the rest on the side.