Many people have a habit of dressing the salad in advance. But it may ruin the dish.
A priori, the salad is a difficult dish to miss. This summer star is within everyone’s reach. Nevertheless, there are bad habits that are easy to pick up, but difficult to identify. Most of them will have the same effect: ruin the freshness of the preparation, while this is his primary interest. Misusing salad dressing is a common mistake, note, in Le Figaro MadameCharlotte Entraigues and Patrice Richard, Best Workers of France Primeur 2018.
It can indeed be tempting, when preparing a salad, to pour the vinaigrette into the preparation in order to save time, or thinking that the flavors will impregnate the vegetables more. But this has a negative consequence. As in a marinade, letting the lettuce rest in the oil will have a “cooking” effect. The leaves will therefore softenlose their crispness and freshness.
Last minute vinaigrette
“The ideal is to season it at the last moment, just before serving, so that the salad stays fresh as long as possible.”, explains Charlotte Entraigues. So you have to wait until the last moment to add the dressing, “most appropriate to add its preparation, because this will help maintain all the crunch“, argues Patrice Richard. While refrigerated storage will extend the life of an undressed salad, it won’t be enough to protect it if the dressing has already been poured.
Other practices can have a similar effect. For instance, cut the lettuce with a knife or scissors will cause faster oxidation than simply breaking the leaves by hand. Careful washing with water, or even with white vinegar to chase away any insects, and good drying also make it possible to have a nice crisp salad.