When we developed this hearty Lamb Stew With Cider And Root Vegetables for last week’s Root Source on apple cider, we decided that a crisp, raw salad would be the perfect side dish to play off the tender, meaty main course.

The key to making a raw salad — we chose fennel, celery root, apples and red onions here — is to thinly slice the raw ingredients to make them easy to chew, tossing them in a light dressing of your choice.

And while you can use a knife for thinly slicing vegetables, the best trick for making raw salads is mastering the intimidating kitchen gadget known as the mandoline.

What’s so scary about a mandoline? The blade is really sharp.

Many mandolines include a blade guard to protect your fingers. It’s a good idea to take advantage of this precaution this when learning to use your mandoline, as well as following a few methodical steps to help you get comfortable with this brilliant piece of equipment.

First, peel and cut your vegetables into manageable chunks that you can easily hold onto as you’re sliding them across the blade. (If you’re making a salad with celery root, for example, peel it with a pairing knife then cut it in half.)

Adjust the blade to your desired setting — for paper-thin slices or a julienne of thinner or thicker proportions. Tuck back your fingers and slide the celery root across the blade, holding the mandoline at an angle and firmly anchoring it on your work surface. (If you’re not using the blade guard, stop well before your vegetable chunk is fully sliced to protect your fingers.)

While carefully cutting up vegetables for a raw salad, be sure to toss any vegetables that tend to oxidize and turn brown (like celery root and fennel) in acidulated water, then get going on the other salad vegetables. Dry and toss them all with any vinaigrette, and you’ve got a salad fit for a stew.

What else is a mandoline great for? French fries and potato chips.

Recipe: Fennel, Celery Root And Apple Salad With Cider Vinaigrette (Cookthink)
Reference: What is a mandoline? (Cookthink)

Posted by brys in how to | | Subscribe to this feed