Salads

Do you like salad?.

                          Salads are dishes made up of meat, poultry, game, fish, selfish, eggs, vegetables, fruits and milk products-normally served cold but can be served hot or frozen. They can be made out of a single ingredient or a combination of ingredients. Salads are normally served as an accompaniment  to the main course, a meal by itself or a sweet course . there should be special strees on hygiene as most of the ingredients are served raw. The ingredients used and the colour, flavor, texture and presentation may be varied according to the purpose.

Do you know how to make salad?

There are 4 basic parts in a salad:

The underliner these are generally greens either shredded or in large pieces. Tear the greens instead of cutting with a knife. The greens must be crisp and chilled. To keep the greens crisp, it is necessary to store them in a manner that retains the maximum amount of water in the cells. This could be achieved by storing them at refrigeration teamprature in the hydrate drawer wrapped in a moist cloth or in a covered container. The loss of water in cells can be reversed. To do this reduce the teamprature to 2-3 degree Celsius and moisten the greens. When the cells are once again filled with water the greens will be crisp.

The body or heart of the salad  This will form the major component and can be made of one ingredient or a combination of ingredients. Ingredients should look sparking fresh with each individual piece intact. Fruits are particularly fragile and should be handled as little as possible.

Dressings these make the salad more appesting although diet conscious people today eat their salads, the dressing could be either basic French or an emulsion. Pleasing flavours can be added to and variations made in the dressings by adding ingredients like caynne pepper, Tabasco sauce, diced hard boiled eggs, assorted herbs, a variety of cheese, chutney, etc . dressings should enchance the salad and not obscure it.

garnish   the garnish should be the focal point and should be carefully selected for its simplicity and to enhance eye appeal and flavor. Edible garnish is more appropriate than inedible ones. Sometimes the dressing is also used as a garnishe by piping it in a decorative form on the salad.

Special strees should be given to the quality of ingredients, eye appeal, simplicity, neatness and contrast or harmony in colour and in texture. All ingredients should be edible, clean, fresh and free from defects, such as bruises, rotten spots, insects, dirt, sand and insecticide. Raw fruits and vegetables should be at their optimum stage of maturity. All inedible portiond should be removed. Remove any excess moisture from ingredients as it thins the dressing, making it less effective.

The aesthetic qualities are determined by the form and shape of the food as well as by the colour. Skilfulness and artistic cutting and arranging of salad ingredients can create an appealing effect.

Try for an uncluttered appearance.

Always prepare salads as close to time of serving as possible.

Try to prepare salads.