SALAD ASSEMBLY

Learning Targets•Identify the parts of a salad.•Describe and identify common salad greens.•Prepare and serve a variety of salads that meet standards of excellence.

Kinds of Salads•Typically grouped according to their place on the menu•Appetizer

• Fruit cocktail• Small tossed salad

•Main course accompaniment• Tossed salad• Cole slaw

•Main dish• Chicken salad• Fruit plate with cottage cheese• Chef’s salad

•Dessert• Gelatin fruit salad• Fruit mixed with nuts and whipped cream

Salad Guidelines•Color

• Several shades of the same color or contrasting colors•Flavor

• Avoid bland flavor, aim for zesty flavor• Can come from the ingredients of the salad or salad dressing

• Mild flavor salads should have tangy dressing• Flavorful salads, such as chicken, need a mild dressing

•Texture• Variety is key

• Crunchy, crisp, soft, etc.•Compatibility

• Ingredients blend well together• Appearance, taste and texture work well together

•Appearance• Should look neat.• Ingredients are well drained before being plated• Salad dressing should be on top of the salad or on the side in a single serve

container• Avoid serving cold salad on the same plate as hot food

Part 1: Base•Also called the underliner •Consists of some type of green such as lettuce

•Placed on the plate first•Keeps the salad from looking bare

•Adds contract of color and texture

•Must appear fresh and green

•Common Salad Greens•Iceberg lettuce•Leaf Lettuce•Romaine•Escarole•Endive•Watercress•Spinach

Part 2 Body•Gives the salad it’s name

•Vegetables• Highest quality should be used• Raw vegetables are chosen for color, texture, and flavor

•Fruit• Fresh, canned or dried are the best choice versus canned due to their

texture• Small fruits may be served whole• Large fruits are halved or sliced before serving• Melons are usually shaped into balls and used for mixed fruit salads

•Meat, Fish, and Poultry• Can be used alone or in combination with vegetables and fruits or served

on the base of greens• Ham is the most popular meat used for salads

• Smokey, salty, and has a firm texture• Cold cuts can also be sliced in thin strips• Canned fish is often used because little flavor is lost in the canning

process• Only top grades should be used

• Chicken and turkey are best for main dish salads• Thinly sliced and arranged on the salad plate with other ingredients• Combined with celery, onion, and mayonnaise for a salad plate or sandwich

Part 2 Body•Body

•Eggs•Hard cooked eggs provide bright colors

• Chopped eggs, sliced, or stuffed eggs•Grade AA is the top grade and should be used for salads•Use large sized eggs for stuffed eggs and smaller sizes for chopping eggs

•Cheese•Used as main ingredient or as a topping•Enhances flavor, texture, and color•Cottage cheese is a popular body of a salad•Hard cheeses are shredded, cut in cubes or crumbled

• Cheddar, Swiss, and blue cheese•Gelatin•Flavor Enhancers

•Salt, spices, herbs, monosodium glutamate (MSG)

Part 3: Salad Dressing•Traditionally high in fat and calories•Gelatin or agar is used as a thicken low-fat, low-cholesterol dressings

•Two common types of dressings•Oil, water and vinegar

•Very thin or thick but pourable•Cream dressings contain gelatin or egg

•Binder: prevents the oil from separating from the vinegar or water

•Mayonnaise•May have an oil base but it spoonable•Binders: Egg and Gelatin form an emulsion

•Emulsion: a mixture of liquids which do not separate from each other

Part 3: Selecting A Dressing•Flavor and consistency has to be taken into consideration when combining with the rest of the salad ingredients.•Consistency: thickness or thinness and the smoothness of the dressing.

•Dressing Guidelines•Salads with a strong flavor need a mild dressing.•Salads with a mild-flavored body need a highly seasoned dressing.

•Sweet salads need a sweet dressing.•The color and appearance of the dressing should make the salad more attractive.

Part 4: Garnish•Best to use a colorful ingredient that is already part of the salad

Salad Prep Standards•Appearance

•Looks neat•Does not cover edge of plate•Color combinations pleasing

•Flavor•Flavorful and zesty, not bland•Dressing compliments body

•Texture• Includes a variety of textures

Standardized RecipeIn your newly assigned kitchen

groups, complete a standardized recipe for your assigned salad.