What's this ?
The reinforcement salad is an Italian recipe originally from the city of Naples. It is used as a side dish in the winter and especially at Christmas.
The fundamental ingredient is boiled or steamed cauliflower, usually accompanied by olives, other vegetables, anchovies, spices, oil and vinegar; it is not uncommon for the surplus from previous meals, such as tuna, to be added to the reinforcement salad. hard-boiled eggs, pickled or pickled vegetables, etc.
A typical aspect of the reinforcement salad is the continuous refilling of the ingredients which, in some cases, extends its shelf life until the first days of January.
The reinforcement salad is a valid substitute for all the pickles and in oil, since it saves the fermentation and maturation time. On the other hand, it does not have the same nutritional characteristics acquired thanks to the bacterial metabolism, much less the same taste of the products aged for a long time A positive aspect is the lower acidity, a characteristic that can be easily adjusted with the discretionary quantity of wine vinegar.
In the "reinforcement salad, the vegetables are partially cooked in boiling water or steam; the ideal time represents a compromise between the whitening (which would leave them raw inside) and boiling (which would cook them completely). This feature means that:
- to the touch, they remain very crunchy
- peppers and carrots become sweeter
- the fennel loses the hints of anise
- the onions reduce acidity and "aromatic power".
The ingredients of the reinforcement salad are quite variable and subject to interpretation. The same applies to the degree of flavor, acidity and any spiciness.
Nutritional Characteristics
The reinforcement salad is a very rich side dish, with a significant but not excessive energy contribution.
The calories of the reinforcement salad are mainly provided by the lipids of the extra virgin olive oil, which is why monounsaturated unsaturated fatty acids prevail. Cholesterol is absent, while fiber is abundant.
Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)
In the "reinforcement salad, carbohydrates and proteins are present in similar quantities; carbohydrates, slightly more abundant, however, play an insignificant energy role and are mainly of the simple type (fructose). The proteins, contained in both vegetables and in anchovies, they are lacking and (overall) have a rather poor biological value.
From the saline point of view, the bracing salad is very rich in potassium, while the sodium levels depend above all on the discretionary addition of table salt.
As far as vitamins are concerned, the reinforcement salad is quite rich in retinol equivalents (pro vit A), ascorbic acid (vit C) and tocopherols (vit E).
This recipe is suitable for most diets, even if the presence of anchovies precludes its use for vegan and vegetarian diets. On the other hand, it does not contain gluten or lactose.
The reinforcement salad does not show any nutritional contraindication for healthy subjects. It should be borne in mind that, being rich in potassium, it cannot be freely consumed by those suffering from renal insufficiency; moreover, the significant presence of vegetables of the genus Brassica (cabbages) rich in vitamin K (anti-haemorrhagic vitamin), negatively interferes with a "possible anticoagulant therapy based on Coumadin.
The chemical composition of the fatty acids and the abundance of fibers make the reinforcement salad also relevant in the nutritional treatment of metabolic pathologies (hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia); moreover, potassium is always very useful in food therapy to control primary arterial hypertension. In the latter case, it is also necessary to avoid adding table salt to flavor the food.
The portion of reinforcement salad is free for healthy subjects (paying attention to the dressing) but, in case of overweight, it should be around 150-250g (115-.195kcal).
Recipe
The reinforcement salad does not have a very complex recipe.
The basic ingredients and steps will be summarized below but, as anticipated, we remind you that the formula can be varied and interpreted in a completely subjective way.
Ingrediants
- 1 head of cauliflower cut into tufts,
- 1/2 black cabbage cut into strips,
- 3 red peppers cut into strips,
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into rings,
- 3 stalks of celery cut into rings,
- 16 spring onions,
- 1 fennel cut into thin wedges,
- 1 tablespoon of salted capers rinsed and found,
- 8 anchovies / salted anchovies well rinsed (or marinated),
- 18 pitted Gaeta olives,
- 18 pitted green olives,
- 5 tablespoons of chopped parsley,
- 250g of salt,
- ½ glass of extra virgin olive oil,
- 700ml of white wine vinegar,
- 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar,
- 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds,
- 4 whole garlic cloves,
- 6 liters of water for cooking and water with ice QB for cooling.
NB. Optional: shallots, dill, oregano and raw hot peppers (habanero or jalapenos).
Method
- Wash, clean and cut the ingredients; revive the capers.
- Bring 6 liters of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt.
- Dip the cauliflower tops and the black cabbage leaves and cook 9-10 ".
- Keeping the cooking water, remove the cauliflower and the black cabbage to cool them in a bowl with ice water.
- Discard two liters of cooking water and add 3 glasses of white wine vinegar, a little salt, fennel seeds and garlic; therefore bring to a boil.
- Add the carrots, pepper, celery, fennel, spring onions and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until tender.
- Remove the vegetables and cool them in the bowl with ice water.
- In a large bowl, combine: cauliflower, onions, pepper, carrots, celery, fennel, garlic, anchovies, olives, capers, red vinegar, oil, parsley, salt and pepper.
- Mix and arrange on a serving dish decorating with olives and anchovies, then serve.
