24.3 Cold sauces, salads and sandwiches

The cold kitchen works with several families of sauce:

• cold emulsion sauces: vinaigrettes and mayonnaise;
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• sauces and dressings based on dairy;
• contemporary sauces, such as foams and sauces from other countries;
• salsas;
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• coulis and purées;
• coating sauces: aspic and chaud-froid;
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• other sauces, such as Cumberland, horseradish and mignonette.
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Cold emulsion sauces

An emulsion sauce joins two opposites that do not blend easily, such as oil and vinegar, and something has to steady them. In the cold kitchen that is often Dijon or whole-grain mustard, honey or spices. For mayonnaise, a little mustard whisked into the vinegar starts the emulsion, and the vinegar can then take in tiny amounts of oil. A vinaigrette starts the same way.

Emulsions come in two kinds. A temporary one, like many bottled vinaigrettes and Italian dressings, sits on the shelf in two layers; shaken, it comes together for a while, then parts again. A permanent one stays evenly mixed the whole time, because it contains additions such as agar or guar gum that keep everything in suspension. see chapter 7: Gelatin, agar and pectin

A basic vinaigrette

A common rule of thumb is two or three parts oil for every part of acid. The acid can be cider, red wine, white wine, Champagne or sherry vinegar, citrus juice, or a mix. Aim for balance, so that the richness of the oil does not swamp the acid. Besides changing the ratio, a little stock, water or sugar can help get there. Dip a bite of lettuce into the dressing and taste, again and again, until it is right.

For fine dining, dress the greens just before service and lightly: every leaf coated, and no dressing pooling on the plate.

An emulsified vinaigrette

An emulsified vinaigrette keeps the same ratio but adds something to hold the emulsion steady. Chefs use egg yolk, mustard, a purée, garlic, herbs or honey.

• Put the acid, the emulsifier (yolk, mustard and so on) and the seasoning (salt, pepper, dried herbs) in the mixing bowl. Fresh herbs wait until service.
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• Whisk until the salt dissolves and the emulsion begins.
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• Drip in the oil as you whisk. As the emulsion forms, the stream can slowly grow. Whisk only while oil is going in: whisking by itself does the dressing no good, and rubbing against the bowl can turn it gray.
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• Add any garnish, taste for seasoning, and refrigerate for service.

Mayonnaise in the cold kitchen

Take care over cross-contamination and over time and temperature when making mayonnaise. see chapter 2: Cross-contamination and allergens

Each yolk can take 6 to 8 ounces of oil. A little water with the yolks helps them take up the oil, and, as with a vinaigrette, the seasonings go in before the oil so the salt dissolves.

• Set out the mise en place: yolks, oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, water and salt. Everything should be at the same temperature. see chapter 5: Mise en place: everything in its place
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• Put the yolks in the bowl, adding one teaspoon of water per yolk.
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• Add the salt, a teaspoon of Dijon and a squeeze of lemon.
• Whisk until the emulsion begins, then drizzle the oil in slowly, whisking all the time.
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To keep the bowl still, twist a wet towel like a whip and tie it into a ring for the bowl to sit in; that leaves one hand to whisk and one to pour. Extra water turns the mayonnaise whiter and lets it absorb more oil, which helps with big batches. Thin a mayonnaise that is too thick with acid or water. Treat it as a base that can carry a wide range of flavors.

Keep mayonnaise refrigerated. Eggs are a potentially hazardous food, refrigerated food is kept at 4°C (39°F) or colder, and food made ahead and kept chilled longer than 24 hours is labeled with the day it was made and a "serve by" date; potentially hazardous foods are generally discarded three days after they were made.

Greens in the cold kitchen

The word salad, like sausage, comes down from the Latin salsus, and a salad made the classic way is always salted. The greens a cold kitchen uses fall into groups:

• Delicate or mild: red and green leaf lettuce, iceberg, Boston and romaine.
• Bitter: escarole, frisée, arugula, watercress, mâche, radicchio and endive.
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• Peppery or spicy: mustard greens, amaranth, watercress, mizuno and tot-soi.
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• Prepared mixes: mesclun, field mix (baby mix), and romaine and iceberg blends, with or without shredded carrot and red cabbage for color.
• Edible herbs and flowers, and micro greens, the last used mainly as garnish.
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Cut, bagged and mixed greens have led the market for years. Give them a bath of chilled water and a spin dry before they go into the cooler, and the salad will be crisp instead of limp and dull.

• Wash gently. Plunge the greens into a chilled water bath so dirt and grit fall to the bottom. Pick out any bits of ice, or they will melt on the plate later.
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• Dry completely, so no water is left and the dressing can cling. Use large spinners for sturdy greens and small hand spinners for delicate ones.
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• Store them in the cooler under a damp covering, kept fluffy, with nothing weighing them down, and use them within two days.
• Tear rather than cut, if you prefer: cutting, especially in commercial cutters, often discolors the leaves.

Dressing a salad for a guest

To dress one portion:

• Set out a mixing bowl, salt, the greens, the garnish, the dressing and the serving dish.
• Put one portion of greens in the bowl and season it lightly with salt.
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• Drizzle a little dressing over, then lift and toss the greens with gloved hands until every leaf is lightly coated.
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• Move them to the plate.

Finish with any of these:

• seasonal vegetables
• something crunchy, such as crackers, croutons or baked vegetable chips
• toasted nuts or dried fruit
• shaved cheese
• micro greens

Side salads

Side salads are made from legumes, grains, pasta, fruit and vegetables. They let a chef lean toward flavors from around the world, or toward a diner's nutritional needs.

• Legume salads. Different beans cook at different speeds, so cook each kind separately, until tender with a creamy center. Beans grow tougher as they sit in a vinaigrette, so dress them no more than a few hours ahead. Dressing small batches as they are needed means any undressed leftovers are still good the next day. see chapter 13: How long each legume takes
• Potato salads. The creamy American style of the Deep South uses plenty of mayonnaise, mustard or both, often with boiled eggs and pimentos and sometimes finely diced onion and celery. In the Bayou country of Louisiana it is a favorite with gumbo and with stews served over rice. Waxy potatoes hold their shape better than starchy ones, so watch them as they boil. Potato salads from Europe are mostly dressed with a vinaigrette and served warm, and they are especially good with German food. see chapter 17: Mealy or waxy: the first choice
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• Pasta and grain salads. Cook pasta and grains fully, but not past done. Al dente is right for a hot pasta dish but not for a salad. Pasta and grains soak up dressing readily, so leftovers may need dressing again. see chapter 16: Al dente: knowing when pasta is done
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• Fruit salads. Some fruits brown once cut; protect sliced apples with acidulated water or lemon juice. Learn the supreme cut for citrus, which shows the flesh at its best with no pith. Fruit salad spoils quickly, so make it in batches to avoid waste and keep food cost down. Basil, tarragon, lemongrass and lemon verbena all go well with fruit. see chapter 18: Preserved fruit
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Composed salads are carefully arranged and often include a protein. Today they are mostly served as main-course salads, and grilled chicken salad is a constant favorite. A niçoise can be built on lightly seared tuna with potatoes, boiled eggs, olives, tomatoes and blanched haricots verts, dressed with a vinaigrette. Use color well, choose parts that suit one another, and make the plate pleasing to look at.

Keeping cold salads safe

Many cold salads are built from potentially hazardous foods: cooked rice and pasta, cooked vegetables and beans, eggs, and meat, poultry and fish.

Cooked parts must cool fast: down from 60°C (140°F) to 20°C (68°F) in two hours or less, then on to 4°C (40°F) in four hours or less. Spread food in shallow pans no more than 5 cm (2 in.) deep, leave it uncovered while it cools, and do not stack the pans; cover the food tightly once it is cold. see chapter 2: Heat: cooling, holding and reheating

Food cooked to be served cold, in a salad or as a sandwich filling, passes through the danger zone of 4°C to 60°C (40°F to 140°F) as it cools, and often sits there again while it is mixed and portioned. Keep it cold until it is served, do not mix leftovers with fresh food, and prepare food for the same day and as close to service as you can.

Sandwiches

The sandwich is credited to John Montague, who lived from 1718 to 1782 and was the fourth Earl of Sandwich. A notorious gambler, he wanted to keep a winning streak going, so he had a servant put meat inside some bread. By the dictionary definition, a sandwich is two or more slices of bread with a filling between them. A wider definition: a casing you can eat, usually starchy, that holds the other parts together and keeps the fingers clean.

At root, a sandwich is served hot or cold, or made small as a finger or tea sandwich. Modern kitchens also make:

• multi-decker sandwiches such as the club
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• open-faced ones such as the Kentucky Hot Brown
• wraps
• mini or slider sandwiches

Every sandwich has four parts: the bread, a spread or flavor base, the filling, and garnishes that suit the filling. Above everything else, use good ingredients.

Bread. Pullman loaves, shaped like a railway car and usually sold unsliced, are sturdy and slice thinly, so they suit most cold sandwiches, tea sandwiches included. Moist, ready-sliced sandwich bread also comes away easily from its crusts for finger and tea sandwiches. Other choices include hard and soft rolls, hot dog and hamburger rolls, po' boy rolls, ciabatta, whole wheat, rye and pumpernickel, pita, focaccia, and nut and fruit breads.

• Buy bread every day when you can.
• Wrap soft breads tightly. Leave hard breads unwrapped, but serve them on one day only.
• Keep bread at room temperature if it will be used within the day. It can be frozen, but not refrigerated.

Spreads. A spread adds flavor and moisture, improves the feel in the mouth, and suits and ties together the other ingredients. If you make sandwiches ahead of service, spread soft butter on the bread before the spread; it keeps the bread from going soggy. Popular spreads include pesto, flavored mayonnaises, tapenade (as on a Muffaletta), hummus, guacamole, romesco, mustards of many kinds, and liver pâté, which belongs in an authentic Bahn Mi. see chapter 17: Olives

Fillings. The filling is the center of attention, and chefs now let their imagination run when choosing it.

• Meats: roast beef, roast pork, roast turkey, small steaks, chicken breast, ham and bacon, corned beef and pastrami, barbecued meats or seafood, liverwurst and cured meats.
• Cheeses: Swiss, Cheddar, provolone, mascarpone, cream cheese, cheese spreads and process cheese. see chapter 14: Process cheese and cheese spreads
• Seafood: tuna, sardines, shrimp, smoked salmon, grilled fish, and fried seafood such as clams or soft-shell crab.
• Bound salads: tuna, egg, chicken or turkey, ham, shrimp and lobster salad.
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The Cuban sandwich, also called the Media Noche, puts both ham and roast pork with pickle and mustard on hoagie-style bread.

Garnishes add flavor, texture and moisture: bacon, lettuce, tomato, sprouts, avocado, pickles and pickled vegetables. Most of these foods can also build a good vegetarian sandwich, a popular choice today.

A sandwich gets no further cooking once it is made. Avoid touching ready-to-eat food with bare hands where possible; use utensils or gloves. Gloved hands must still be washed, and gloves changed when they are dirty or torn and at the end of each day.