Erica De Mane

Still Life with Apples, by Antoine Berjon, ca. 1810.

Recipe below: Thanksgiving Salad with Escarole, Tart Apple, Sweet Almonds, Fennel, and Parmigiano

I planned to tell a rather involved Italian American–inspired Thanksgiving tale here, but then I learned that my top cat was very sick. That shut me down, making it difficult to create anything holidayish. So instead I’ll just tell you about the salad I’m preparing to go with someone else’s turkey and stuffing.

Maybe I’m perverse, but for me it’s not Thanksgiving without salad. My mother always made one with chicory, something bitter to cut through all that rich Americana. Here’s what I’m doing this year.

Thanksgiving Salad with Escarole, Tart Apple, Sweet Almonds, Fennel, and Parmigiano

(Serves 6)

Extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup sliced almonds
1 teaspoon sugar
A big pinch of fennel pollen or ground fennel seed
Salt
Black pepper
1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar
2 medium heads escarole, washed and torn into pieces
2 tart apples, such as Pink Lady or Cortland, cored and thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced (with a mandolin or a sharp knife), plus a handful of its fronds
1 small shallot, very thinly sliced
A few sprigs of dill
A chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano or grana Padano cheese

Get out a small sauté pan, and place it over medium flame. When it’s hot, add the almonds, sugar, fennel pollen, salt, and a little black pepper. Add a few drops of olive oil, and stir the almonds around until they’re just turning golden, about a minute or so. Pull the pan from the heat, and let the almonds cool.

Put the escarole in a large salad bowl. Add the apples, fennel and fronds, shallots, almonds, and dill.

Mix together about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the vinegar, and season with a little salt.

Grind some black pepper over the salad. Pour on the vinaigrette, and toss.  Top with shavings of Parmigiano or grana Padano, and toss again gently. Serve right away.