Winter Citrus Salad
A seasonal salad can be hard to come by in the depths of winter, but this winter citrus salad is our best shot at one![1] This simple salad showcases several citrus fruits—oranges, grapefruits,[2,3] and pomelos.[4] The sweetness of butter lettuce that forms the base of this salad complements the acidity of the fruit, as does plenty of toasted pecans.
Ingredients
8 oz butter lettuce
2 oranges
2 grapefruit
1 pomelo (optional)
1 cup pecans
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Flaky sea salt
Begin by peeling your assorted citrus fruits and segment them. For the grapefruit and pomelo, which have thicker membranes, the best way to do this is to split the fruit into hemispheres and then to peel the membrane away from a fruit segment with clean fingers. Then gently remove the segment of fruit, scraping the other side with a butter knife if necessary to help it release. To segment the oranges, remove as much of the pith as possible, then slice each segment out with a paring knife. If you can’t be bothered to section your citrus, peel and slice the fruit into rings instead.
Wash and spin dry the butter lettuce leaves, and tear them into manageable pieces. We’re going to add some pecans to the salad, which will provide a bit of richness to complement the abundant acid of the fruit. To toast the pecans, heat a pan over medium heat. Add the pecans to the dry pan and toast, tossing occasionally, until the nuts are fragrant. This should take about 5 minutes. Keep the nuts moving to prevent them from burning.
Next, make the dressing. This simple vinaigrette consists of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, and Dijon mustard. Use a fruity EVOO if possible for this application! Combine the ingredients and mix well, until the dressing is emulsified, and season to taste with salt. In a large bowl, combine the butter lettuce leaves with the toasted pecans and some of the dressing. We don’t want to overdress the lettuce, so start with less than you think you need, and add more if necessary. Toss well until the lettuce leaves are lightly coated in the dressing. The fruit segments are too fragile to toss in this way, so transfer the salad to the service bowl and layer the fruit over the dressed lettuce. Serve the salad immediately, which extra dressing on the side.
Substitutions
If you like a tad of bitterness in the salad, add a handful of arugula or endive leaves. Other nuts such as walnuts or slivered almonds can work well in lieu of pecans in this salad. Experiment with mixes of citrus fruits—blood oranges in particular work great in this salad. If you prefer a dressing which is less sweet, substitute balsamic vinegar for red wine vinegar in the dressing.
[1] In the United States, the season for grapefruit is October-May and the season for pomelo is December to February. While you can find oranges all year round, they are at their peak from November to February.
[2] The grapefruit is the product of 18th century British seafaring—the result of a cross on the island of Barbados between a pomelo from Indonesia and an orange from Jamaica. The fruit is considered one of the “Seven Wonders of Barbados” by the official Barbadian tourist agency.
[3] Grapefruit is known to interact with 85 different drugs, resulting in adverse effects. Even just one cup of grapefruit juice can be sufficient to cause drug toxicity. There are two mechanisms through which grapefruit can interfere with drug action: metabolism interactions and absorption interactions. In the former case, the grapefruit’s furanocoumarins bind and irreversibly inhibit enzymes in the epithelial lining of the small intestine which would otherwise break down the drug. This results in an effective overdose of the medication. In the latter case, compounds in grapefruit juice can bind to transporter proteins, reducing the effective dose of the drug.
[4] The pomelo’s scientific name is Citrus maxima.
Recipe
Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 5 min Total Time: 20 min
Difficulty: 2/5
Heat Sources: 1 burner
Equipment: skillet
Servings: 8
Ingredients
8 oz butter lettuce
2 oranges
2 grapefruit
1 pomelo (optional)
1 cup pecans
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Flaky sea salt
Instructions
1. Peel and segment the citrus fruits, and set the fruit segments aside.
2. Add the pecans to a dry pan over medium heat, tossing occasionally, and toast until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
3. In a bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, honey, and mustard. Mix well until the dressing is emulsified, and season the dressing with salt.
4. In a large bowl, combine the butter lettuce with the toasted pecans and the dressing. Mix well to combine.
5. Place the fruit segments over the dressed lettuce, and serve immediately.
