HELLO, I'M JULIA CHILD.

WELCOME TO MY HOUSE AND TO MY KITCHEN AND TO ANOTHER CULINARY ADVENTURE WITH TWO OF AMERICA'S MASTER CHEFS.

TODAY, A LITTLE TOUCH OF GREEN IN MY KITCHEN WITH DANIEL BOULUD CHEF AND OWNER OF RESTAURANT DANIEL, IN NEW YORK CITY.

AND GORDON HAMERSLEY CHEF/OWNER OF HAMERSLEY'S BISTRO, IN BOSTON.

TH CHEF DANIEL IS GOING TO START OUT WITH A PERFECTLY BEAUTIFUL COLD PEA SOUP GARNISHED WITH ROSEMARY AND BACON.

AND LOOK AT ALL THESE PEAS.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO START WITH, THE BACON?

YES, WE HAVE FOUR KIND OF PEAS AND WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE BACON FOR THE SOUP.

THAT'S SLAB BACON, YEAH.

SLAB BACON.

SO IF YOU CAN'T GET SLAB WE CAN GET THICK SLICED AND CUT THE BACON IN BIG CUBES.

DOES THAT HAVE THE RIND ON IT STILL?

YES, IT'S FINE.

YEAH.

AND IT'LL GIVE MORE FLAVOR.

YEAH, OKAY.

YOU ALREADY HAVE SOME COOKING.

I HAVE ALREADY SOME COOKING SO YOU WANT TO RENDER THE FAT A LOT.

AND THEN DRAIN THE FAT OUT OF THE BACON OUT OF THE POT.

PARDON.

YES, THERE IS QUITE A BIT IN THERE.

DRAIN FAT VERY WELL BECAUSE... WELL IT GIVES A NICE FLAVOR, DOESN'T IT?

IT GIVE THE FLAVOR BUT THE FACT THAT IT'S A COLD SOUP THE FAT WILL CONGEAL INTO THE SOUP.

SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO REMOVE THE FAT OF THE BACON ONCE IT'S ROASTED AND PUT A LITTLE BIT OF OLIVE OIL.

YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP ME WITH THAT?

YES.

AND THE OLIVE OIL WILL HELP FOR THE SWEATING OF THE LEEKS CELERY AND ONION THAT IS GOING INTO THE SOUP.

THE NEXT STEP WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE CHOPPING OF THE LEEKS.

THOSE ARE PRETTY BIG.

SOMETIMES THEY COME SMALLER, BIGGER.

UM HMM.

WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE ROOT INSIDE AND THOSE ARE VERY TENDER.

YOU HAVE TO WASH THEM VERY CAREFUL?

YES, VERY MUCH.

SO THEY GET SPLIT.

THE BEST IS TO SPLIT THEM IN FOUR LIKE THIS.

ALMOST LIKE AN UMBRELLA.

AND THEN WE WASH THEM INTO A WATER BATH OR SOAK THEM FOR... YEAH.

GET ALL THE SAND OUT.

GET THE SAND OUT AND THEN DRAIN.

AND HERE I HAVE LEEKS WHO HAVE BEEN ALREADY PRE-WASHED.

CUT THEM IN... THE MAIN THING IS DON'T HAVE TO BE PRECISELY OF A SIZE BUT SMALL ENOUGH SO IT CAN SWEAT WELL.

UM HMM.

AND SORT OF DISCARD THE ROOT PART.

AND WE HAVE ENOUGH LEEKS HERE FOR... AND THE QUANTITY I WOULD SAY BETWEEN THE LEEKS THE ONION AND THE CELERY WILL BE NORMALLY ROUGHLY ONE THIRD OF THOSE INGREDIENTS FOR TWO THIRDS OF PEAS.

AND THE ONION, I'M USING SWEET ONIONS SO THOSE ARE FRESH FROM THE MARKET, LOCAL ONION.

BUT WE CAN USE ALSO, IF THE ONION IS BIGGER OR SCALLION ALSO WORKS VERY WELL.

THESE GET SPLIT.

THESE ARE ALL GOING TO BE DICED UP AGAIN?

YES.

ALSO, TAKE OUT THE ROOT PART A LITTLE BIT.

AND HERE, AGAIN THE FACT THAT IT'S GOING TO SWEAT INTO THE SOUP WORKS VERY WELL.

WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT PRECISELY HOW IT'S CHOPPED.

YEAH.

JUST A MINCING, QUICK MINCING.

BUT IT'S ALWAYS BETTER TO DO IT WITH A KNIFE.

IT'S AWFUL TO CHOP AN ONION WITH A PROCESSING BLENDER.

IT ALSO MAKES IT KIND OF A STRANGE ODOR I THINK, SOMETIMES?

ABSOLUTELY, IT'S TERRIBLE.

AND IT WILL REALLY RUIN THE SOUP.

AND I'M GOING TO ADD THE ONION TO THE SOUP.

THAT'S A NICE SMELL ALREADY.

ALREADY, YEAH.

AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO SWEAT IT UNTIL IT BECOMES VERY, VERY SOFT AND THE SUGAR IS COMING OUT OF THE ONION OF THE LEEKS.

WE'RE GOING TO PUT SOME CELERY.

THAT'S A GOOD WAY OF DOING THE CELERY.

JUST KEEPING IT IN A BUNCH AND THAT MAKES IT SO MUCH EASIER TO CHOP.

YES.

VERY MUCH UP TO THE HEART, YEAH... AND THAT'S ADDED TO THE SOUP.

WE'RE GOING TO ADD THE ROSEMARY NOW AFTER THAT WHICH IS FRESH ROSEMARY.

I LOVE THE FLAVOR.

HMM.

YEAH, THAT'S LOVELY.

VERY STRONG, BUT IT'S VERY DEFINITE.

WE'LL ADD A WHOLE STEM OF IT INSIDE.

IT'S STARTING TO SWEAT VERY WELL.

THOSE ARE LOOKING... THIS HAS BEEN SWEATING NOW FOR ABOUT SEVEN TO TEN MINUTES.

THAT'S PERFECT, IT'S NICE AND SOFT.

SO WE'RE GOING TO START TO ADD THE PEAS INTO IT.

I ADD THE SNOW PEAS RIGHT HERE.

I SWEAT ALSO A LITTLE BIT OF THE PEAS INTO THE SOUP THE SUGAR SNAPS.

UM HMM.

THE ENGLISH PEA, REGULAR PEAS.

A FASCINATING BEGINNING I MUST SAY.

AND SORT OF GET THE PEAS TO A TEMPERATURE WHERE THEY WILL COOK VERY FAST AS WELL ONCE WE'RE GOING TO POUR THE CHICKEN STOCK OVER.

RIGHT NOW I'M GOING TO ADD SOME SALT.

I'M ADDING A LITTLE BIT OF SEASONING TO IT.

AND THEN WE'LL ALWAYS TASTE AT THE END HOW IT WOULD TASTE.

JULIA, THE PEAS HAVE BEEN SWEATING FOR ABOUT SEVEN TO TEN MINUTES AND THEY'RE VERY GLOSSY, VERY SHINY.

YOU CAN EVEN SMELL THE FLAVOR OF PEAS.

HMM, THEY'RE WONDERFUL... NOW, WE'RE GOING TO ADD THE FAVA BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN BLANCHED THEY CAN BE ADDED AT THE END.

AH, YOU DON'T WANT TO OVERCOOK THEM.

OVERCOOK THEM, AND... ISN'T THAT A BEAUTIFUL COLOR IN THERE?

YES THEY ARE, REALLY.

AND THAT GETS TOSSED IN.

AND WE'LL ADD THE CHICKEN STOCK AT THIS POINT.

SO, THE PEAS ARE VERY HOT.

AND I'LL HAND THAT TO YOU.

I'LL HELP YOU.

EVERYTHING IS... BE CAREFUL, JULIA.

THERE YOU ARE.

VERY GOOD.

AND I WILL POUR THE STOCK UP TO THE LEVEL OF THE PEA.

ABOUT THAT.

IT'S ALWAYS BETTER TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT LESS LIQUID AND DECIDE ONCE WE'RE GOING TO BLEND THE SOUP IF IT NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE.

YOU COULD ALWAYS ADD MORE, YES.

AND IT'S ALWAYS HARD TO RETRIEVE LIQUID ONCE THE SOUP IS BLENDED.

IT CERTAINLY IS.

SO THIS WILL BOIL NOW FOR... I'M GOING TO ADD ALSO A LITTLE BIT OF PARSLEY TO IT.

UM HMM.

SO THAT IS... THAT'S ITALIAN PARSLEY... YES.

WITH MORE FLAVOR, YES.

ITALIAN PARSLEY.

THAT WILL COOK WITH THE PEAS FOR ABOUT SEVEN MINUTES.

IT'S IN THE FINISHING OF THE COOKING OF THE SOUP.

AND THAT WILL SUSTAIN A LITTLE BIT OF THE COLOR AND GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF THE FLAVOR OF THE DISH.

NOW THAT'S DONE, IS IT?

YES, NOW THE PEAS ARE DONE.

THE IMPORTANT THING NOW IS TO COOL THEM VERY FAST.

OH, SO TO KEEP THE COLOR.

TO STOP THEM COOKING AND KEEP THE COLOR.

SO I HAVE AN ICE BATH HERE.

I'M GOING TO PUT SOME SALT ON THE ICE TO... THAT WILL MAKE IT EVEN COLDER.

COLDER FOR THE COOLING OF THE SOUP.

THEN I'M JUST GOING TO POUR THE SOUP DIRECTLY INTO THE BOWL.

AND WHILE IT'S COOLING I'M GOING TO START TO REMOVE THE BACON AND THE DIFFERENT, THE ROSEMARY STEM AND THE PIECE OF BACON- BECAUSE THEY WON'T GET BLENDED.

THIS IS GOING TO BE PUREED?

YES.

AFTER WE'LL PASS IT THROUGH THE BLENDER.

TAKE OUT ALL FOREIGN MATTER.

THAT'S WHY IT'S PRACTICAL WHEN THEY'RE CUT BIG- THE BACON, BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY EASY TO... YOU CAN SEE THEM.

AND IF BY MISTAKE YOU LEAVE A PIECE IT WON'T BE SO DRAMATIC.

IT WILL BE OKAY.

WE CAN ALWAYS STRAIN THE SOUP AND... SO THIS WILL TAKE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES OF COOLING FIVE TO TEN MINUTES OF COOLING.

THE SOUP IS COOL ENOUGH.

WE CAN REMOVE IT FROM THE ICE.

NOW I'M GOING TO BLEND THE SOUP UNTIL VERY SMOOTH AND KEEP IT CHILLED.

VOILA.

YOU STILL NEED A BLENDER IN A KITCHEN, BECAUSE... OF COURSE, RIGHT... THE FOOD PROCESSOR REALLY HASN'T TAKEN ITS PLACE?

NO, PLUS YOU WANT THE SOUP TO GET VERY, VERY SMOOTH.

YEAH.

VOILA, THIS IS THE LAST BATCH OF THE SOUP.

THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL COLOR, ISN'T IT.

TO BE STRAINED.

IT'S JUST LOVELY.

THANK YOU, YES.

AND IT'S A PURE CONCENTRATION OF PEA FLAVOR INTO THE SOUP.

OKAY, SO THAT'S FINE.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE PULP THERE?

YOU CAN USE IT AND MAKE RAVIOLI IF YOU LIKE.

OH, THAT'S RIGHT.

YOU CAN MAKE PEA RAVIOLI WITH IT.

THAT'S WHY THEY MADE RAVIOLIS.

NOW THIS SOUP WE CAN KEEP IT IN THE REFRIGERATOR FOR A FEW HOURS.

EVEN IT CAN BE DONE A DAY AHEAD AND COVERED.

AT THIS POINT, IT JUST NEED TO BE RE-SEASONED TASTED AND SEASONED AND CHILLED IN THE REFRIGERATOR.

AND CHILLED, FINE.

WHILE THE SOUP WILL BE CHILLING I WILL SPEAK ABOUT THE GARNISH.

THIS IS HEAVY CREAM WHICH I'M BRINGING TO THE BOIL.

AND ADDING TO THE CREAM ABOUT ONE AND A HALF STEM OF ROSEMARY, ONE STEM.

UM HMM.

TO INFUSE- IT'S LIKE AN INFUSION OF CREAM AND ROSEMARY.

AND ABOUT TWO CLOVES OF GARLIC WHO WILL GET LIGHTLY CRUSHED LIKE THIS.

PUT IT IN AND A LITTLE TOUCH OF PEPPER AND SALT.

AND LET IT COOK FOR LIGHT SIMMERING FOR ABOUT FIVE TO SEVEN MINUTES UNTIL...YOU DON'T WANT THE CREAM TO GET TOO THICK EITHER.

BUT TO REALLY EXTRACT THE FLAVOR OF THE ROSEMARY.

AND THEN THAT GETS CHILLED TOO AFTER.

STRAINED AND CHILLED.

THE OTHER GARNISH ALSO IS BACON.

I HAVE SOME BACON HERE.

AND THE BACON HAS BEEN COOKED IN THE OVEN TILL IT GETS NICE, VERY NICE AND BROWN.

YEAH.

THEN DRAINED VERY WELL, PAT DRY IN A PAPER TOWEL AND GRIND INTO A FOOD PROCESSOR OR BY HAND.

I MEAN IT CAN BE GRIND WITH A KNIFE, CHOPPED FINELY.

THAT'S REALLY... AND THEN GETTING TO A VERY FINE BACON POWDER, ALMOST.

THAT'S GOING TO BE NICE.

AND THAT'S THE SECOND GARNISH TO THE SOUP.

THE THIRD IS SOME TINY, TINY LITTLE CROUTONS.

WHICH... WHICH ARE TINY.

I USE FOR THAT, I USE WHITE BREAD.

CUT IN TINY LITTLE DICE LIKE THIS.

AND THEY GET COOKED INTO A LITTLE BIT OF OLIVE OIL IN THE HOT PAN.

A LITTLE BIT OF OLIVE OIL AND A STEM OF ROSEMARY AND A CLOVE OF GARLIC WHICH YOU PUT ON AND TOSS THEM UNTIL THEY GET VERY CRISPY AND BROWN A LITTLE BIT.

AND THE PROCESS IS VERY SIMPLE HERE.

BUT ALL THE GARNISH YOU WANT THE GARNISH TO BE CUT IN... LITTLE TINY THINGS.

TINY LITTLE DICE, YES BECAUSE WITH A SMOOTH SOUP LIKE THIS IT GOES VERY WELL.

UM HMM.

JUST LIKE THIS.

THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY PRETTY.

AND THAT'S THE CROUTONS.

THE CREAM WILL BE ALMOST COOKED.

WE CAN COOL IT AFTER.

YES, YOU CAN SMELL THAT- THAT'S A VERY, VERY FRAGRANT.

ABSOLUTELY.

MMM.

THAT HAS TO BE CHILLED AND THEN YOU'RE READY TO GO.

ABSOLUTELY.

NOW THE SOUP IS OUT OF THE REFRIGERATOR.

OHHH.

THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL COLOR, ISN'T IT?

AND IT'S CHILLED.

THAT'S JUST LOVELY.

YEAH, IT'S A LOVELY SOUP.

I'M GOING TO PLATE SOME.

WITH A GREEN AND WHITE PLATE.

IT WOULD BE DELICIOUS HOT TOO, WOULDN'T IT?

COULD BE, ABSOLUTELY.

IT'S ALSO DELICIOUS HOT, BUT IT'S... IT'S A COLD SPECIALTY.

AS A SPRING AND SUMMER IT'S VERY REFRESHING AS A COLD SOUP.

AND THAT'S WHEN ALL THE PEAS ARE IN... YES.

ARE IN BLOOM.

AND THE GARNISH, I WILL STRAIN THE CREAM.

THE CREAM HAS BEEN... WELL THAT'S BEEN CHILLED.

REDUCED, CHILLED AND... AND THAT'S THE GARLIC CLOVES.

AND WE'LL STRAIN THE ROSEMARY AND THE GARLIC.

YEAH.

ONCE IT'S COLD AND IT HAS COOLED OFF A LITTLE BIT IT SORT OF COATS A LITTLE BETTER.

IT'S NOT VERY THICK, IT'S STILL VERY LIGHT.

THE GARNISH ALSO CONSISTS OF SOME OF THE PEAS.

YOU KEEP ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT OF PEAS ASIDE WHICH HAS BEEN BOILED IN SALTED WATER.

HERE WE HAVE SOME FAVA BEANS, SOME ENGLISH PEAS AND SOME SNOW PEAS.

WE'LL JUST CUT SIMPLY INTO SMALLER SECTION LIKE THIS.

AND THAT WILL GO INTO THE SOUP.

OR IT CAN GO INTO THE SOUP TUREEN AS WELL.

NO DIFFERENCE IF... THEN YOU HAVE TEXTURE TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE EATING.

ABSOLUTELY.

A REMINDER.

A REMINDER.

THEN A LITTLE BIT OF CREAM TO IT.

AND THAT CAN BE A LITTLE DABS LIKE THIS.

OTHERWISE, IT'S JUST ABOUT A FAT-FREE SOUP.

VERY MUCH.

IF YOU LIKE THAT KIND OF THING.

I THINK THE CREAM BRINGS OUT THE FLAVOR OF THE ROSEMARY.

OH, YES.

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT.

BECAUSE AS YOU TASTE THE SOUP FIRST YOU TASTE A LITTLE BIT OF THE CREAM AND IT GIVES YOU A STRONG FLAVOR OF ROSEMARY.

AND THEN AFTER THE ROSEMARY FLAVOR CARRIES ON A LITTLE BIT INTO THE SOUP.

I CAN SMELL THAT ROSEMARY IN THERE.

THE CROUTONS GIVE A LITTLE CRUNCH TO IT.

A LITTLE BIT OF CROUTONS.

WELL, THAT'S SO PRETTY.

THE BACON BRING THE SALTINESS INTO THE SOUP BECAUSE IT'S SO SWEET... AH, HA.

ALL THOSE PEAS AND LEEKS.

YES.

SO THE BACON WILL BRING THE SALTINESS TO THE SOUP.

WELL, THAT'S SO PRETTY.

YES, READY FOR YOU JULIA.

I'LL BE SURE TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING.

A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING.

THE PEAS AND THE CREAM, AND THE BACON.

MMM.

YOU FEEL THE BACON IT GIVES ENOUGH BITE TO IT.

YEAP.

THAT'S JUST LOVELY.

THAT'S ONE OF THE STARS OF YOUR RESTAURANT, ISN'T IT?

VERY MUCH, IT'S A STAR DISH THIS ONE.

UM, JUST LOVELY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, JULIA.

GORDON HAMERSLEY IS GOING TO SHOW US THE REAL SECRETS OF MAKING THE PERFECT GREEN SALAD.

I HAD A BEAUTIFUL ONE AT YOUR RESTAURANT AND I THOUGHT EVERYONE WOULD ENJOY SEEING JUST WHAT YOU DO.

OKAY, WELL, I'D LIKE TO DO THAT.

OBVIOUSLY, THE THING THAT YOU START WITH FIRST AND FOREMOST IS GREAT SALAD GREENS.

WE'RE SOAKING THEM HERE.

WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF RED LEAF LETTUCE AND SOME PARSLEY, SOME FLAT LEAF PARSLEY.

AND I THOUGHT WE'D USE SOME WATERCRESS TODAY.

OH, GOOD.

AND, BASICALLY, ALL YOU DO IS YOU VERY GENTLY WASH THE LETTUCES IN COLD WATER.

THEN TRANSFER THEM INTO OUR SALAD SPINNER HERE.

I REMEMBER BEFORE SALAD SPINNERS WERE INVENTED.

PEOPLE WOULD USE PILLOW CASES.

RIGHT.

AND THERE WERE WIRE BASKETS AND YOU SWUNG THEM AROUND YOUR HEAD.

YEAP.

ACTUALLY, ONE AFTERNOON WE BROKE OUR SALAD SPINNER AT THE RESTAURANT AND I HAD ALL OF THE COOKS OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF TREMONT STREET WAVING PILLOW CASES AROUND THEIR HEADS.

HA.

SO, WE'RE JUST GOING TO START SPINNING.

BASICALLY YOU JUST SPIN ALL THE WATER OUT OF IT.

IT'S TERRIBLY IMPORTANT TO GET IT ALL DRY, ISN'T IT?

IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

WHEN THE DRESSING COATS THE LEAVES YOU DON'T WANT ANY EXCESS MOISTURE BECAUSE IT JUST DILUTES THE DRESSING THAT YOU'VE MADE.

I'LL DRY IT A LITTLE BIT MORE AND THEN WE'LL PUT IT RIGHT INTO OUR SALAD BOWL.

THERE'S THAT PART.

I'M GOING TO MAKE THE SALAD DRESSING NOW.

START WITH MINCING A SHALLOT.

WHAT DID WE DO WITHOUT SHALLOTS BECAUSE THEY'RE SO LOVELY?

OR THEY'D JUST USE SCALLIONS?

YEAH BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT AS... UM, YES, YEAH.

THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT ONION FLAVOR THAT YOU COULD USE BUT THE SHALLOT I REALLY LOVE I DO TOO.

FOR THE DRESSING FLAVOR.

AND WE SHOULD MINCE IT UP PRETTY FINELY HERE.

THESE DAYS WE STILL CUT THE SHALLOTS WITH A KNIFE IN THE RESTAURANT JUST BECAUSE IF YOU DO IT IN A FOOD PROCESSOR TOO MUCH WATER COMES OUT OF IT AND IT DOESN'T... YEAH.

I THINK IT CHANGES, SORT OF MASHES IT.

DEFINITELY.

WE'LL PUT A LITTLE DIJON MUSTARD.

NOT HOT DOG?

NOPE.

AND THEN SOME SHERRY VINEGAR.

AH.

SALT.

A LITTLE PEPPER.

PEPPER.

AND WE'LL JUST MIX THIS AROUND.

WE MIGHT NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE VINEGAR, I THINK WE DO.

IT'S GOOD TO GET A NICE BALANCE BETWEEN THE VINEGAR AND THE MUSTARD.

YOU DON'T WANT IT TO BE OVERLY MUSTARD-Y BUT YOU STILL NEED TO HAVE... NOR OVERLY VINEGARY.

EXACTLY.

NOW WE'RE GOING TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF THYME HERE.

WE HAVE SOME BEAUTIFUL... OH, FRESH THYME.

IT'S WONDERFUL THAT WE GET FRESH HERBS NOW THAT'S GREAT.

THAT'S TRUE.

JUST CUT THEM UP A LITTLE BIT.

IF THE STEMS ARE TENDER, THEY'RE DEFINITELY EDIBLE.

AND IF THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT.

BUT THIS IS THE NICE TOPS SO THAT WORKS PRETTY WELL.

NOW WE'RE GOING TO ADD OUR OIL.

VERY, VERY GOOD OIL.

GOOD OIL.

VERY IMPORTANT.

I NEVER USE THAT KIND OF VEGETABLE OIL, DO YOU?

NO.

DEFINITELY NOT FOR SALADS, THAT'S FOR SURE.

AND I THINK THOSE BOTTLED DRESSINGS ARE REALLY HORRID BECAUSE THEY USE LIKE MACHINE OIL OR SOMETHING.

YEAH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY USE.

I DON'T KNOW, BUT THEY'RE... AND WHY WHEN IT'S SO EASY TO MAKE A DRESSING?

ESPECIALLY IF YOU MAKE IT UP A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN YOU NEED AND KEEP IT IN A JAR AND JUST GIVE IT A SHAKE AND IT'S READY.

UM HMM.

IT'S CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO GO BAD ON YOU.

AND, JUST START DRIZZLING IN OUR OIL.

NOW IS THIS A VIRGIN OIL?

IT IS.

THE MAIN THING WITH OLIVE OIL IS TASTE IT.

RIGHT.

BECAUSE SOME EXTRA VIRGINS ARE BADLY MADE.

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS, DIFFERENT STYLES.

WE USE A GREEK OIL USUALLY IN THE RESTAURANT.

BUT WE'VE USED A SPANISH EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL AS WELL AS AN ITALIAN.

WELL I LIKE THE FRENCH OILS.

OH, SO DO I. DEFINITELY A VERY DIFFERENT TASTE.

YEAP.

NICE EMULSION THERE AND IT SHOULD BE PRETTY THICK, BUT NOT TOO THICK.

I TEND TO LIKE A FAIR AMOUNT OF VINEGAR IN MY DRESSINGS.

SOME PEOPLE DON'T, BUT I TEND TO LIKE THEM PRETTY VINEGARY.

HOW'S THAT TASTE?

I DON'T THINK YOU CAN SAY PROPORTIONS.

I THINK ONE TO THREE IS TOO MUCH VINEGAR FOR MY TASTE.

RIGHT.

IS THAT TOO VINEGARY?

VERY GOOD, UM HMM.

OKAY.

YOU HAVE TO DO IT BY TASTE, DON'T YOU?

IT'S TRUE.

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

I MEAN, IT'S REALLY AN IMPORTANT THING JUST TO KEEP TASTING ALL THE TIME.

SO THE NEXT THING WE'RE GOING TO DO IS TO TOSS OUR SALAD.

IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT STEP IN MAKING A GOOD SALAD.

THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE DON'T WANT TO PUT OUR DRESSING ON BEFORE WE REALLY WANT TO EAT IT.

JUST BEFORE.

JUST BEFORE.

RIGHT.

BECAUSE IT WILTS THE LETTUCE, DOESN'T IT?

RIGHT.

SO WE'LL POUR A LITTLE BIT OF DRESSING OVER THE TOP.

YOU DON'T WANT TO PUT TOO MUCH SO THAT IT DRENCHES THE LETTUCE LEAVES.

AND WE TOSS THE SALAD MAKING SURE THAT YOU KIND OF TOSS AND FOLD IT OVER.

AND MAKING SURE THAT THE LETTUCE LEAVES GET FULLY COATED WITH THE DRESSING.

IT'S AWFULLY NICE HAVING A COLLECTION OF GREENS, ISN'T IT?

IT IS, AND YOU KNOW IF YOU USE THE WATERCRESS IT ADDS A LITTLE BIT OF A HOT FLAVOR TO THE SALAD.

THE PARSLEY ADDS SOME SWEETNESS AND THE TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF GREEN LEAF LETTUCES ADDS KIND OF A SOFTNESS TO THE PALATE.

AND, OF COURSE YOU CAN VARY THAT FROM SEASON TO SEASON.

OH, YES.

SO THIS IS PRETTY WELL COATED HERE.

NOW WE CAN TASTE IT.

WE CAN TASTE IT, ABSOLUTELY.

THAT'S THE IMPORTANT PART.

MAKE SURE THAT THE DRESSING IS ADHERING TO THE LETTUCE AND IT TASTES GOOD.

THAT'S REALLY GOOD.

YEAH, WE NEED A LITTLE... I HATE IT WHEN SOMETIME YOU'RE SERVED THE SALAD THEY JUST POUR THE DRESSING OVER THE TOP.

OH, I KNOW.

AND NONE OF IT GETS INTO IT.

RIGHT.

THAT'S VERY GOOD, THANK YOU.

THANKS.

SURE, ABSOLUTELY.

SHALL WE PUT SOME ON THE PLATE?

UM HMM.

THE OTHER NICE THING ABOUT MAKING SALAD IS GETTING IT ONTO THE PLATE IN A WAY THAT IS ATTRACTIVE.

AND OFTEN WHAT YOU DO IF YOU CAN LIFT THE LEAVES UP A LITTLE BIT AS YOU PUT THEM ONTO THE PLATE THEN IT ADDS SOME HEIGHT.

HMM, YES.

THAT'S LOVELY, GORDON.

THANKS.

THANK YOU.

BON APPETIT.