Gem Lettuce, Chicories, Parmesan Recipe

Prepare lettuces

Trim root end of each gem lettuce head, separate into halves or quarters (depending on size), and rinse briefly under cold water. Shake or spin dry thoroughly. Tear or chop chicories into bite-size pieces, then rinse and dry.

Place the drained gem lettuce and chicories in a large mixing bowl. Reserve a few whole small gem leaves for plating if you want a decorative touch.

Roughly chop the parsley and sprinkle it over the greens.

Add shaved Parmesan to the bowl, reserving extra shards for finishing the plated salad.

In a small bowl or jar, combine lemon juice, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and minced shallot. Whisk to combine.

Slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil while whisking vigorously (or close the jar and shake) to emulsify the dressing until glossy and slightly thickened.

Season the dressing with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust: add more lemon for brightness, honey for sweetness, or salt for seasoning.

If the shallot is strong, let the dressing sit 5–10 minutes to mellow and for flavors to meld.

Just before serving, pour about half to three-quarters of the dressing over the greens (start conservatively — you can always add more). Gently toss using salad tongs to coat leaves evenly, taking care not to bruise delicate gem lettuce.

Taste and add more dressing, salt, or pepper as needed. Transfer to a serving platter or individual plates.

Scatter the reserved Parmesan shards and toasted nuts over the top for texture and finish with a few whole gem leaves for presentation.

Serve immediately so the gem lettuce remains crisp.