Insalata Regina

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The queen’s salad is from the Duca di Salaparuta’s (1879-1946) cookbook, which not only honors his chosen way of eating (he was vegetarian) but also his aristocratic, Sicilian sense of style.

  • servingServings

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb. potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 artichokes, trimmed and sliced
  • 1 lb. asparagus, tips trimmed
  • 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup cooked cannellini beans or 1 cup canned, rinsed and drained
  • 2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 3/4 cup good-quality commercial mayonnaise
  • 12 cornichons cut into fans for garnish
  • 12 black olives, pitted, for garnish
  • 4 tsp. capers for garnish

Preparation

  1. In large saucepan fitted with metal steamer, with 2 inches water, separately steam potatoes, carrots, artichokes and asparagus until tender. Check saucepan for water after each vegetable and add as needed.
  2. In large bowl, combine steamed vegetables, lettuce, beans, parsley, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste. Gently fold with rubber spatula.
  3. Turn salad out onto serving platter and form mound. Spread remaining 1/2 cup mayonnaise over mound of vegetables. Decorate salad by making a border around base with cornichon fans and olives. Sprinkle capers over top. Serve right away.


Note: To trim artichokes, before cooking cut stem away and remove outside leaves by bending them backward and pulling down; they’ll snap at the meaty point. Pull away the leaves until you see only pale green ones. Use a very sharp knife to cut away the remaining leaf tops, about a quarter of the way down. Quarter the artchokes. Using a very sharp knife, cut away the fuzzy choke and cut each quarter into very thin slices.

Nutrition Information

  • Serving Size: 8 Servings
  • Calories: 245
  • Carbohydrate Content: 20 g
  • Cholesterol Content: 12 mg
  • Fat Content: 17 g
  • Fiber Content: 5 g
  • Protein Content: 6 g
  • Saturated Fat Content: 3 g
  • Sodium Content: 456 mg