Woodford Salad

Recipes

Nov 1

This bright and festive salad brings the party to any meal with friends and family. Created by Chef Ouita while she was chef-in-residence at a well-known Woodford County distillery, it marries local sorghum and Kentucky bourbon in a lively vinaigrette you'll want to put on everything.

Ingredients: local lettuces, sugared pecans^, orange suprêmes^, pickled onions^, fresh goat cheese [optional], salt & pepper, sorghum vinaigrette^

^recipes & methods below!

Prep and gather all toppings and ingredients then start by seasoning your lettuce with salt & pepper. Yes — you read that right; trust us, it helps. Toss with a good spoonful of dressing depending on your salad quantity. Remember, you can always add more but you can’t take it away. Dress until desired consistency. Top with cheese, oranges, onions and sugared pecans right before serving! (they’ll lose their crunch if put on too early)

Sugared Pecans

1 egg white
1# pecan halves
⅔ cup white sugar
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
generous pinch of cayenne

Whisk egg white til foamy. Add pecans and stir to coat.
Add sugars and spices, mix until well blended.
Spread in a single layer on a parchment lined sheet pan.
Bake low and slow (275°, 20-35 minutes) until crispy, stirring at intervals. Watch closely – once they start to brown, it only takes a minute or two to go from golden to oops.

Pickled Onions

one medium red onion
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Slice your onion as thin as possible and put in a jar big enough to hold it. Heat vinegar, water, sugar & salt in a pot and stir until sugar & salt are dissolved. Let mixture cool and then pour over the onion slices. Let mixture sit for up to 1 hour before using.

Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks!

Sorghum Vinaigrette

1 cup malt vinegar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground sweet paprika
½ teaspoon dry mustard
dash of Louisiana-style hot sauce (or a dash of cayenne if you’re out)
1 tablespoon grated onion
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sorghum
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 cup blended oil

In a large bowl whisk together vinegar, salad, paprika, mustard, hot sauce & grated onion. Warm sorghum gently in a microwave to loosen it or hold the bottle under hot running water to get a runnier consistency. Stir sorghum into the vinegar mixture along with the bourbon. Add oil slowly to emulsify, whisking constantly. Makes 2 ½ cups!

Store any leftover dressing in the refrigerator and drizzle over apple slices, bleu cheese, slices of rare roast beef on a crusty baguette — maybe all three at once!

Orange suprêmes

A fancy chef way to slice oranges without getting the connective tissue in each piece. Not necessary but also not hard if trying to impress friends. If you don’t have the patience, just cut your orange as you see fit with no rind.

Cut a ¼” slice off both poles of the orange. Stand the orange cut side down on a cutting board and remove the rind and as much of the white pith as possible, slicing from top to bottom and following its natural curve. Once you have a naked orange, cradle it in your palm and look for the segments within their membrane. Using a sharp knife that you’re comfortable with, carefully cut out the fleshy center of each segment, leaving the membrane behind. Tada! You now have pith-free orange suprêmes that will dissolve in your mouth.