Delicious Salad

We had eaten dinner at Animal and at their sister restaurant Son of a Gun, both are very good and very casual. We purchased their cookbook: Two Dudes One Pan. The recipes are tasty looking and easy to make. When we ate at Animal we had a delicious salad. So the first recipe from the book we make was this salad: Creamy Tarragon-Dressed Butter Lettuce, Smashed Croutons, and Grana. It is excellent!

Creamy Tarragon-Dressed Butter Lettuce, Smashed Croutons, and Grana

Two Dudes One Pan

Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo

Jon: I feel like I'm always hunting down the croutons in a salad. In this one, we smash them up so you get a little bit of crouton in every bite. It's a bit rustic in a texturally cool kind of way.

VINNY: Butter lettuces, such as Boston and Bibb, stand up really nicely to a creamy dressing, but if you can't find them in your market, iceberg is our second runner-up.

Place the croutons in a resealable plastic bag (make sure that there isn't any trapped air in the bag) and, using the bottom of your mixing bowl, press down on the croutons to smash them into uneven bits. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, tarragon, chives, salt, and pepper. Add 1 to 2 table­spoons water, just enough to thin the dressing to a medium-bodied consistency, like that of a creamy ranch dressing

Place the greens in the bowl and toss gently with your hands to coat with the dressing. Transfer to a serving bowl or indi­vidual plates, top with the cheese and smashed croutons, and serve.

SERVES 4

homemade croutons

Heat your oven to 300°F. Place 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt in a large bowl. Add 6 cups of 1/2-inch bread cubes (about 1 French baguette) and toss to combine. Transfer the cubes to a rimmed sheet pan and toast until the cubes are just starting to color and get crispy, about 25 minutes, stirring the croutons midway through baking. Set aside to cool, and use imme­diately or store in a plastic bag for up to 1 week.

FOR THE TARRAGON YINAIGRETTE

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 tablespoons sour cream

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon, a few leaves reserved for garnish

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chives, a pinch reserved for garnish

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground

black pepper

FOR THE SALAD

2 heads of Bibb or Boston lettuce, quartered 1 4-ounce chunk Grana Padana or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler