Organic Arugula Salad with Tempura California Avocado

HomeRecipesOtherFoodserviceOrganic Arugula Salad with Tempura California Avocado

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Serves: 12

Ingredients
Instructions

As needed Vegetable oil, for frying 3 Fresh California Avocados*, peeled, pitted and quartered As needed kosher salt 24 cups lightly packed arugula 6 grapefruit, peeled, segmented and seeded 1 1/2 cups chopped, toasted almonds Roasted Garlic Citrus Vinaigrette (recipe follows) Whipped Goat Cheese (recipe follows) Herb Salad (recipe follows) Tempura Batter (recipe follows) Roasted Garlic Citrus Vinaigrette (Yield: 4 cups) 1 1/4 cups peeled garlic cloves 1 cup canola oil 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup lemon juice 1 orange, zested and juiced 1/2 Tbsp. lemon zest 1/2 cup lime juice 1/4 cup sherry vinegar 2 Tbsp. honey 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp. chopped fines herbes As needed salt and ground black pepper Whipped Goat Cheese (Yield: 4 cups) 1 1/2 lb. goat cheese, at room temperature 3/4 cup crème fraîche 1/4 cup Heavy Cream As needed salt and ground black pepper Herb Salad (Yield: 1 cup) 1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley leaves 1/4 cup fresh dill fronds 1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves 1/4 cup fresh chive batons Tempura Batter (Yield: 1 1/2 cups) 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 Tbsp. cornstarch 2 Tbsp. baking soda 1 Tbsp. salt 7 oz. soda water

Roasted Garlic Citrus Vinaigrette:

Place the garlic in a small pot with 1/2 cup canola oil and 1/2 cup olive oil and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Lower heat to low and cook until garlic is soft and golden brown, about 1 hour. Strain garlic and reserve oil. Cool oil in refrigerator.
In a blender, combine the cooked garlic cloves, lemon juice, orange zest and juice, lime juice, sherry vinegar, honey and Dijon mustard. Blend on medium-high until smooth. With the blender running, slowly add 1/2 cup of the reserved garlic oil, the remaining 1/2 cup canola oil and the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil until emulsified. Stir in the fines herbes and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Whipped Goat Cheese:

Place the goat cheese, crème fraîche and heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to assemble salads, up to 24 hours in advance.

Herb Salad:

In a bowl, combine the parsley, dill, tarragon and chives. Reserve for plating.

Tempura Batter:

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and soda water until smooth.

Assembly:

In a heavy pot, add oil to a depth of 2 inches and heat to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with 2 layers of paper towels.
Working in batches, dip the avocado quarters in the tempura batter and fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet to drain. Sprinkle the tops with salt.
Spread 1/4 cup whipped goat cheese on the bottom of each of 12 serving plates.
In a large bowl, toss half of the arugula with half of the grapefruit, half of the almonds, and just enough dressing to coat. Season with salt to taste. Mound the salad onto 6 of the plates. Top each salad with a piece of avocado and garnish with herb salad. Repeat with remaining salad, dressing, avocado and herb salad. Serve immediately.
Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger avocados, adjust the quantity accordingly.

*Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.