Lettuces, Sprouts and Snow Peas With Radish Water

Ingredients

• 3 small shallots, sliced thinly
• 1 tablespoon ginger juice (pressed from one 2-inch-long piece ginger, grated)
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons mirin, more to taste
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
• 2 medium tomatoes
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil
• 6 to 8 scallion tops in 2-inch pieces
• 8 ounces snow peas
• 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
• 3 sprigs tarragon, leaves stripped
• 6 ounces mixed lettuces like lola rosa, red oak, butter, romaine, arugula, mizuna, sorrel
• 3 ounces mixed mild-flavored sprouts like radish, pea and mung bean, washed and dried
• 8 leaves basil, in bite-size pieces
• 6 ounces daikon radish, peeled
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 ounce myoga bulb, sliced thinly (see note)

6 servings

Preparation

1. Place shallots in a small bowl, add ginger juice, rice wine vinegar, mirin and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Turn to coat, and adjust brine to taste. Reserve in refrigerator.
2. Cut tomatoes into eight pieces, place in a blender and liquefy. Strain into a small bowl through a fine mesh sieve or a heavy-duty paper towel. You should have about 1/2 cup tomato water. Rinse and dry blender jar.
3. Place ice cubes from two trays in a roasting pan and fill it halfway with water. In a sauté pan, heat grapeseed oil. Add scallion tops and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, one minute. Transfer to a small bowl and place in the ice bath.
4. Bring 2 cups water to boil with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook snow peas about one minute. With a slotted spoon, transfer snow peas directly to ice bath to stop cooking. Return water to boil and add green peas. Cook one minute, add tarragon, stir once, and strain, reserving 2 ounces cooking liquid. Place green peas, tarragon and reserved liquid in blender and process until smooth. Press through fine sieve into a small bowl and chill over ice bath. You should have 1/2 cup tarragon-green pea purée. Rinse and dry blender, add scallions and oil, and pulse to a chunky purée. Reserve.
5. Remove snow peas from ice bath. Remove their strings and cut peas into thin strips. Place lettuces in a salad bowl, add sliced snow peas, sprouts and basil. Toss.
6. For the dressing: Grate daikon into a separate bowl. Add 1/4 cup tomato water, 2 tablespoons scallion oil, 3 tablespoons pea-tarragon purée, 2 tablespoons shallot pickling brine and the extra virgin olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings.
7. Dress salad to taste, and season with salt and pepper. Divide salad evenly among six plates, garnish with shallot pickles and myoga slices, and serve immediately.

• Myoga is sold at Asian markets.

40 minutes