As most people are probably doing after the holidays, I was craving a salad to balance out all the heavy, rich food everywhere. This is one of my favorites, and it’s really not even a recipe. The bresaola is from one of my favorite places in NY, Di Palo. If you haven’t been there, you should go…it’s the best place to get Italian salumi and cheese. Plus, it’s out of another era– they still handwrite bills and ring you up on an old fashioned register. They’ll give you a taste of anything, and I really recommend their homemade burrata and mozzarella. If you’re lucky, they will have some freshly made porchetta sitting out on the counter.
Bresaola, Parmesan, and Arugula Salad
8-12 slices of Bresaola, fanned out on a plate
2 cups baby arugula
zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
shards or shavings of parmesan
Combine the lemon and olive oil with some salt and pepper and whisk together. (I usually put it all in a plastic takeout container and shake it. I can keep any leftovers for later and it’s the easiest way to emulsify the dressing.)
In a separate bowl, pour the dressing over the arugula and toss with your hands. I prefer doing it this way rather than using spoons because you make sure to coat your greens well.
Pile the arugula in the center of the plate and pour a little extra dressing over the top. Place the parmesan shards around the top and grind some fresh pepper over the top. If you want to get fancy, you can drizzle truffle oil over because it goes really well with the bresaola.
