Sesame-Almond Citrus Salad

A mixed green leaf salad topped with buttery, sesame almond crumbles, supremed orange or pink grapefruit segments and dressed with a sweet and tangy rice wine vinaigrette.

Recipe Ingredients:

Sesame-Butter-Almond Crumbles:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons slivered blanched almonds
4 tablespoons sesame seeds

Rice Wine Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 cup light olive

Salad:
4 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal (optional)
2 large oranges or 2 pink grapefruit, supremed*
6 to 8 cups mixed salad greens

Cooking Directions:

1. For Sesame-Butter-Almond Crumbles: Melt the butter n a small skillet over medium heat; add almonds and sesame seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown; remove from heat. Spread mixture onto a plate covered with aluminum foil. Refrigerate until firm. (Freezing will speed the chilling process up considerably.) Once firm, break up into crumbles.
2. For the Rice Wine Vinaigrette: Whisk together the sugar, salt, pepper and vinegar in a small bowl that's been placed atop a damp dish cloth or tea towel (to keep the bowl steady) until sugar dissolves; slowly pour in the oil in a small stream while rapidly whisking constantly until the ingredients have blended and emulsified. Place in a serving cruet or bottle and refrigerate. (This dressing will keep almost indefinitely.)
3. For Salad: Divide the amount of desired salad greens into 4 serving bowls.
4. If using, sprinkle 1/4 of the sliced green onions over the lettuce in each bowl.
5. Divide the supremed orange or grapefruit segments evenly and arrange atop the lettuce in a star formation, leaving a circular space in the middle. (At this point, salads can be refrigerated until ready to serve.)
6. When ready to serve, place a small mound of Sesame-Butter-Almond Crumbles in the center of each salad. Drizzle a small amount of vinaigrette over each salad and serve. Or, allow each person to drizzle the desired amount of vinaigrette on their own salad.

Makes 4 servings.

*To Supreme Citrus: Using a sharp paring knife, remove the skin, pith, and outer membrane from the fruit. Carefully cut each segment away from white membranes.

Recipe and photograph by Hope Cantil; Copyright © 1999; property of CooksRecipes.com. See Terms of Use.