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Bon Appétit

Escarole Caesar With Sardines and Hazelnuts

By Molly Baz
Escarole Caesar salad with sardines and lemon
Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Allie Wist

When looking for a sustainable fish option, go for lower-on-the-food-chain guys like sardines. They’re in their full glory in this umami-packed twist on Caesar.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

½ cup blanched hazelnuts
1 3.75-oz. can sardines, drained
1 garlic clove, finely grated
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more
1½ oz. Piave cheese or Parmesan, divided
½ cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 large head or 2 small heads of escarole (about 1½ lb.), wilted outer leaves removed, inner leaves torn into large pieces
Lemon wedges (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 325°. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet until deep golden brown, 12–15 minutes. Let cool, then crush or coarsely chop.

    Step 2

    Open each sardine with the tip of a paring knife, prying the fillets apart. Remove any bones. Finely chop 2 sardines and transfer to a large bowl. Add garlic, lemon juice, mustard, and ½ tsp. pepper and whisk to combine. Finely grate 1 oz. Piave (about two-thirds) into bowl and add mayonnaise and oil; whisk to combine. Season dressing with salt.

    Step 3

    Add escarole and three-fourths of hazelnuts to bowl with dressing and toss well to coat; season with salt and pepper.

    Step 4

    Divide salad among plates, top with remaining hazelnuts. Shave remaining ½ oz. Piave over and break remaining sardines into smaller pieces and scatter on top. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

TagsSaladEscaroleChicoryLeafy GreensVegetableSardineFishSeafoodHazelnutNutFallEasyWeeknight MealsMainSideGluten FreeLunchDinnerBon Appétit

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