Escarole Caesar With Sardines and Hazelnuts
by Molly Baz
Yield: 4 servingsCook: 12–15 minutes
Ingredients
You have 2 of 10
produce
- ✓1garlic(finely grated)
- ○2 Tbsplemon juice(fresh)
- ○lemon wedges(for serving)
- ○1 large head or 2 small headsescarole(wilted outer leaves removed, inner leaves torn into large pieces)
protein
- ○1 3.75-ozsardines(drained)
dairy
- ○1 1/2 ozPiave cheese or Parmesan(divided)
pantry staple
- ○1/2 cuphazelnuts(blanched)
- ○1 tspDijon mustard
- ✓1/2 tspblack pepper(freshly ground)
- ✓1/2 cupmayonnaise
- ✓2 Tbspolive oil(extra-virgin)
- ○Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet until deep golden brown, 12–15 minutes. Let cool, then crush or coarsely chop.
- Open each sardine with the tip of a paring knife, prying the fillets apart. Remove any bones. Finely chop 2 sardines and transfer to a large bowl. Add garlic, lemon juice, mustard, and ½ tsp. pepper and whisk to combine. Finely grate 1 oz. Piave (about two-thirds) into bowl and add mayonnaise and oil; whisk to combine. Season dressing with salt.
- Add escarole and three-fourths of hazelnuts to bowl with dressing and toss well to coat; season with salt and pepper.
- Divide salad among plates, top with remaining hazelnuts. Shave remaining ½ oz. Piave over and break remaining sardines into smaller pieces and scatter on top. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.
My notes
When looking for a sustainable fish option, go for lower-on-the-food-chain guys like sardines. They’re in their full glory in this umami-packed twist on Caesar.