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Fall Greens Salad with Pumpkin Seed Brittle

The happy surprise of this salad is the crunchy brittle made with pumpkin seeds. I like to bake it on those silicon mats; their nonstick surface works wonders with the sugars in the brittle. Be careful not to burn the pumpkin seeds.

From "My New Orleans" by John Besh/Andrews McMeel Publishing

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Vegetables

Salad

Ingredients

1 cup sugar, for the brittle		1/4 cup canola oil, for vinaigrette
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, for the brittle		2 tablespoons walnut oil, for vinaigrette
1 teaspoon salt, for the brittle		2 tablespoons pumpkin seed oil, for vinaigrette
4 ounces pumpkin seeds, for the brittle		Salt and freshly ground pepper, for vinaigrette
1 egg white, for the brittle		6 cups mixed baby fall greens such as tatsoi, mizuna, arugula, beet
1 teaspoon sugar, for vinaigrette		1 cup Clemson Blue or other artisanal blue cheese
1/4 cup sherry vinegar, for vinaigrette		1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 shallot, minced, for vinaigrette		Fresh chervil sprigs
Leaves from 1 sprig of fresh thyme, for vinaigrette

directions

Total:

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1
For the brittle, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together the sugar, cayenne, salt, and pumpkin seeds in a medium bowl. Whisk the egg white in a mixing bowl until foamy but not stiff. Fold the egg white into the pumpkin seeds.
2
Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Spread the brittle mixture thinly and evenly on the silicon mat and bake until the brittle turns completely golden brown, 20–30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to let cool. Break the brittle roughly into 2-inch shards.
3
For the vinaigrette, whisk the sugar and sherry vinegar together in a large mixing bowl or salad bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Add the shallots and thyme. Whisk in the canola, walnut, and pumpkin seed oils. Season with salt and pepper.
4
For the salad, put the greens into the bowl with the vinaigrette and toss well. Divide the greens between 6 individual plates and crumble blue cheese on top of each. Scatter shards of pumpkin seed brittle, chives, and chervil sprigs over the tops of the salads.

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