Cooking Lesson #72— Beverly Hills Italian Chopped Salad

Beverly Hills Italian Chopped Salad

How you doin’? It has been very sad to see Beverly Hills closed up tighter than a drum, but things are starting to open up once again. One bright spot has been that you could still get the “legendary” Italian Chopped Salad from La Scala. 

Back in the 50s, Chef Jean Leon served a popular chopped salad at La Scala Boutique in Beverly Hills. The classic dish combined two kinds of lettuce, salami, chickpeas, and cheese.
Over the years, the salad has been nibbled on by movie stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Julia Roberts, and Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as JFK.  La Scala still features the original version. The secret ingredient in the vinaigrette dressing is the dry mustard. The original salad was hard to eat so the salad was chopped into small bite-size pieces. So… ready, set, pull out your mezzaluna and get to rockin’ and choppin’.

Prep time:  15 minutes
Yield:  2 servings
 
Ingredients
For the secret chopped salad dressing
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup light olive oil
 
For the salad mix
1 cup iceberg lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup romaine lettuce
4 tablespoons Italian salami, chopped
4 tablespoons cooked chicken, chopped
4 tablespoons garbanzo beans, chopped
4 tablespoons jicama, small dice
2 tablespoons carrot, shredded
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup of provolone, chopped
1/4 to 1/3 cup Chopped Salad dressing
 
For the toppings
1 tablespoon scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon black olives, chopped
2 tablespoons tomatoes, chopped
 
Directions
To make the salad dressing

1. Add all the dressing ingredients, except the olive oil, to the jar of a blender and blend well.
2. With the small hole of the blender top open, drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to blend.

To make the salad

1. Chop all ingredients as you go.
2. Mix all ingredients with dressing except scallions, olives and tomatoes.
3. Place on chilled plates.
4. Garnish with scallions, olives and tomatoes.

ChefSecret:  By no means do you have to abide by these salad mixin’s suggestions.  You can use most any leftover in the refrigerator to add to a great salad, i.e. bacon, fried onion strings, croutons, etc., and that goes for the salad dressing as well. So, put on your Italian chef’s coat and knock yourself out—create a masterpiece. 
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe, be kind and always give thanks to our many first responders on the line who risk their lives for us.  And, if you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com.

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