Oils for salads

Salads, whatever their ingredients, are always best when drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. In Cuisine Florentine, a book by Louis Monod, chef at the Savoy Hotel from 1902 to 1909, there is a chapter devoted to salads. In this section of the book, the author claims that olive oil is always the “protagonist of the dish” and “should be drizzled profusely… indeed, as the old Spanish saying goes, to dress a salad properly you need a wise man for the salt, a cheapskate for the vinegar, a generous soul for the oil and a madman to mix it all.”

The only way to see if it is true, is to try it out, so… Bon appétit!

AN OIL FOR EVERY SALAD

Sicily

Mixed salad with artichokes and mullet fillets > paired with extra virgin oils made with Iblea olives, having a medium-strong fruitiness

Lemon, marjoram and garlic salad > dressed with extra virgin oils made with Biancolilla olives, having a medium-strong fruitiness

Couscous salad with fresh fruit > with extra virgin oils obtained from Nocellara del Belice olives, with a medium-strong fruitiness.

Calabria

Salad with stuffed baby squid > dressed with delicately fruity extra virgin oils obtained from Ottobratica olives.

Cold Farfalline pasta with chanterelle mushrooms in oil > paired with fruity extra virgin oils made from Carolea olives.

Mixes salad with cold tongue and Tropea onions > dressed with fruity extra virgin oils made with Dolce di Rossano olives.

Apulia

Seafood salad > served with intensely fruity extra virgin oils made from Peranzana olives.

Cold pasta with shellfish > drizzled with delicately fruity extra virgin oils obtained from olives of the Ogliarola variety growing in the environs of Lecce.

Cold orecchiette pasta with peas and broad beans > dressed with intensely fruity extra virgin oils obtained from Coratina olives.

Lucania

Rocket and endive salad served with sole fillet rolls > drizzled with extra virgin oil obtained from Majatica olives, and having mid-strong fruitiness

Aubergine salad > with extra virgin oils made from Ogliarola del Bradano olives and characterized by mid-strong fruitiness

Salad with salami and cold meat cuts > served dressed with delicately fruity extra virgin oils produced from Fasola olives.

Sardinia

Cold rice salad with marinated anchovies > served dressed with extra virgin oils made from Bosana olives, having mid-strong fruitiness

Salad with baby meatballs à la tartare > paired with fruity extra virgin oils made from Tonda di Cagliari olives

Salad with scampi and black currants > with fruity extra virgin oils made from Semidana olives.

Campania

Octopus, potato and olive salad > paired with intensely fruity extra virgin oils made from Ravece olives

Exotic fruit and scampi salad > with delicately fruity extra virgin oils made with Ortice olives

Cauliflower and walnut salad > served with mid-fruity extra virgin oils made from Minucciola olives.

Molise

Onion and basil salad > served with extra virgin oils made from Gentile olives harvested in the Larino countryside, characterized by mid-light fruitiness

Spelt, barley and baby squid salad > dressed with extra virgin oils from Rumignana olives, having mid-strong fruitiness

Salad with breast of guinea fowl > drizzled with fruity extra virgin oils obtained from Nera di Colletorto olives.

Abruzzo

Salad with roast beef > dressed with intensely fruity extra virgin oils produced from Dritta olives

Lemon-scented cold pasta > with delicately fruity extra virgin oils made from Toccolana olives

Tuna and rocket salad > served with fruity extra virgin oils obtained from Gentile di Chieti olives.

Lazio

Spelt, grapefruit and scampi salad > served with fruity extra virgin oils from Carboncella olives

French bean and tomato salad > drizzled with mid-strong fruity extra virgin oils made from Caninese olives

Cold pasta with mussels and mixed vegetables > dressed with extra virgin oils from Raja olives, characterised by delicate to intermediate fruitiness.

Umbria

Trasimeno cowpea and mint salad > served with fruity extra virgin oils made from Nostrale di Rigali olives

Sausage and bell pepper salad > with intensely fruity extra virgin oils made from Moraiolo olives

Rice salad with cheese > drizzled with extra virgin oils from Dolce Agogia olives, having delicate to intermediate fruitiness.

Marche

Tomato and onion salad > dressed with fruity extra virgin oils made from Coroncina olives

Mixed salad with cucumbers > drizzled with extra virgin oils made from Ascolana Tenera olives, having mid-strong fruitiness

Snail salad > dressed with intensely fruity extra virgin oils produced from Raggia olives.

Tuscany

Mixed salad with cannellini beans > drizzled with extra virgin oils made from Frantoio olives and characterized by a mid-strong fruitiness

Mixed salad with pecorino cheese > paired with fruity extra virgin oils made from Leccino olives

Chicken and almond salad > dressed with delicately fruity extra virgin oils produced from Olivastra Seggianese olives.

Emilia-Romagna

Tomato and potato salad > served drizzled with intensely fruity extra virgin oils made from Ghiacciolo olives

Salad with caprino (goat) cheese > dressed with fruity extra virgin oils made from Nostrana di Brisighella olives

Cold pasta with peas and meat > paired with a fruity extra virgin oil made from Correggiolo olives.

Liguria

Peach and octopus salad > drizzled with a fruity extra virgin oil made from Castelnovina olives

Mixed salad with pears > served with a Riviera Ligure PDO extra virgin oil made with Taggiasca olives, and characterized by delicate to intermediate fruitiness

Fish salad > with fruity extra virgin oils obtained from Razzola olives.

Lombardy

Green salad with pears and walnuts > served drizzled with extra virgin oils produced from Favarol olives, and characterized by a delicate to intermediate fruitiness

Rich salad with sesame seeds > dressed with delicate to fruity extra virgin oils obtained from Pendolino olives

Artichoke salad > paired with fruity extra virgin oils made from Gargnà olives.

Veneto

Mixed salad with citrus fruit, pears and scampi > drizzled with a fruity extra virgin Garda PDO oil made from Frantoio, Casaliva and Pendolino olives

Mixed salad with chicory and olives > served with extra virgin oils made with Grignan olives, characterized by delicate to intermediate fruitiness

Venice-style nervetti (veal cartilage) salad > dressed with fruity extra virgin oils obtained from Casaliva olives.

South Tyrol and Trentino

Traditional Tyrolean salad > served with extra virgin oils obtained from Leccino and Casaliva olives, characterized by delicate to intermediate fruitiness.

Friuli Venezia Giulia

Barley salad with olive pesto > paired with an extra virgin oil made from Bianchera olives, having mid-strong fruitiness

Friulian salad with runner beans > served dressed with fruity extra virgin oils made from Carbona olives.

Piedmont

Novara-style rice salad > drizzled with a fruity extra virgin oil made from Picholine olives

Mixed salad with peaches and hazelnuts > dressed with hazelnut oil

Aosta Valley

Tuna and egg salad > walnut oil.

Photo by Luigi Caricato