The Best 15-Minute Salad For Your Labor Day Menu

It was a steamy August day at The Rockaways. I was covered shoulder to toes in
Coppertone as the Latino duo, Mexico City’s Gabriela Camara of
Contramar and Uruguayan-born Ignacio Mattos of Estela in Manhattan,
pulled together an elegant corn-themed dinner along the boardwalk for
the first Masafest.

While corn certainly was the star, the gem salad had a shining moment. When it hit the table, there was silence, then a series of exclamatory "wows" and a
"what’s in this?" It didn’t look like much — just gem lettuces alone on a
plate. But, the greens burst with acidity, then
grassiness, then a pop of fermented-fish euphoria.

The crowd thought it was pure genius, but Mattos explained that it’s not quite so
esoteric. He tossed the gems in an anchovy vinaigrette (please, tiny
fish haters, give anchovies a chance!), then gradually mixed in dollop
after dollop of crème fraîche until it reached a Caesar-like consistency. A
drizzle of lemon and white wine vinegar rounded things out. But, the secret
ingredient that sent it to the moon and back? Ground dried
Louisiana shrimp.

Here on earth, average cooks can’t always find those salad saviors, which Mattos explains are not salted, just dried. So, we tried
it with romaine hearts and without the fancy shrimp. Sure, it’s not
the same, but it’s still delicious. If you live in Brooklyn, Mermaid
Garden sells the southern delicacy (or you can buy it online). Whichever iteration of this salad you choose, one thing's for sure — you need to make it.

Ingredients:
For the anchovy vinaigrette:
4 anchovy fillets
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Cracked black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt

For the salad:
2 oz (about 1/3 cup) Louisiana dried shrimp
Ground chili
Sea salt
4 heads (about 1 1/4 lbs) little gem lettuce (sucrine), separated, washed, and, dried (or light green leaves of romaine hearts, cut into 3-inch pieces)
3 tbsp anchovy vinaigrette
2-3 tbsp crème fraîche
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2-1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2-1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Instructions:
1. Make the vinaigrette. Using a chef knife or mortar and pestle,
mince the anchovies and garlic into a paste. Transfer the paste to a
small bowl or leave in the mortar and whisk in the red wine vinegar.
Season with cracked black pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and more pepper as needed; set aside.

2. Combine the dried shrimp and a pinch of chili and salt into a
food processor. Pulse to roughly chop the shrimp (some will become
finely ground); set aside.

3. In a large, wide bowl, toss the gem lettuces with just enough
anchovy vinaigrette to coat. Add the crème fraîche, a dollop at a
time, until creamy. Mix in the lemon zest. Season the salad with
lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Taste,
adding more lemon juice, vinegar, or oil until well-balanced. Sprinkle
salad with chopped and ground shrimp and toss again. Taste, and season
with more shrimp, salt, or chili as needed.

Adapted from Ignacio
Mattos of Estela.