Valencia Orange and Pomegranate Salad with Olive Oil and Sherry Vinegar
SERVING SIZE: 4
Ingredients
This recipe is adapted from Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America by Jose Andres.
1 pomegranate
4 oranges (we used what looked best at the store, including blood oranges for color)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
Salt to taste
1 head Romaine lettuce, washed and torn into pieces
1/4 cup black olives, pitted
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Directions
Slice the pomegranate in half. Turn one half face down over a large bowl, and hit the back of it with a large spoon. The fleshy seeds will fall into the bowl. Repeat with the other half. Remove the white pith and set the seeds aside.
Peel the oranges and remove the bitter white pith. Cut them into segments and set aside.
In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over a very low flame. Add the garlic and saute until soft, about 3 minutes (do not let it brown). Place the garlic in a blender, add the remaining 7 tablespoons of olive oil and the sherry vinegar, and mix until thoroughly blended. Add salt to taste.
In a serving bowl, mix the lettuce with the reserved orange segments and pomegranate seeds. Add the olives and the dressing and toss. Sprinkle with the chives, and serve.