Chopped Salad
The nominees, their films and their fashion, what could be more glamorous than the Oscars? This week an iconic Hollywood salad bringing some glitz to your next lunch, evening attire is optional.
On the first Sunday of this month was the 97th Academy Awards. Opening the morning news in England to all the glamour of the iconic Oscars ceremony I’m captivated by the nominees the fashion and most intriguingly what the stars are served to eat on the night. Following the ceremony Oscar winners, nominees and presenters are fed in the opulent golden Ray Dolby Ballroom, of the Ovation Hollywood. People magazine reported the return of Wolfgang Puck catering for the Governors Ball “We have a great menu and we know everybody's really hungry,” Puck, 75, told reporters”. The idea of the mega elite of Hollywood kicking back for this reception cannot be surpassed by the juicy snippet that Barbara Streisand personally requests Puck’s legendary Chicken Pot Pie. Talk about pressure.
An unflappable and consummate professional Puck serves other crowd favourites including his much lauded Cacio e Pepe Macaroni and Cheese, pictured served in miniature ramekin pots with jaunty spoons at the ready. Everything is as imagined, portioned into perfect servings inviting you to try a few mouthfuls. The kitsch but irresistible Oscar statuette-shaped matzo crackers topped with smoked salmon and caviar also cannot not be mentioned… the list goes on. At the very least instantly google “Oscars 2025 food” to see for yourself.
At the thought of the Oscar banquet I immediately recalled a classic chopped salad, the perfect dish to serve to celebrate the awards show. This salad was created in the 1950s at the legendary La Scala in Beverly Hills. It can still be ordered today, although only for those in the know as it is off-menu. The salad was created by chef Jean Leon at the request of the stars of the golden Hollywood era (think Judy Garland), who wanted a light bite to eat on their way to the Oscars. A dish that could easily be eaten easily in al their finery. Leon decided to simply chop up what was then known as La Scala’s Gourmet Salad and so the Chopped Salad was born. The original vinaigrette is a closely guarded secret, you will find countless imitations online partly due to a viral TikTok for the chopped salad returning it to celebrity status. I am sure the key to this salad’s enduring appeal is that every piece of salad is perfectly bite sized and dressed. Nothing could feel more Hollywood.
This week’s recipe is my version of a chopped salad. I depart from tradition and serve each component separately on a large platter, visually this is immensely satisfying to me. The correct way is to chop everything together and combine well. There needs to be crunch from ice berg lettuce as well as a salty component such as a hard cheese, there should also be a protein, such as roast chicken or hard boiled eggs, to make the dish filling and a complete meal. I personally like a classic mustard vinaigrette. I hope this recipe will bring some glamour to your weekly lunchtime.
Recipe of the Week
Chopped Salad
There is glamour to the chopped salad that starts with its Hollywood provenance. This is my version which is by no means faithful to the original and you can adapt the ingredients to make this your own.
Serves 4-6
1/2 small iceberg lettuce
2 small roasted chicken breasts
100g of dry cured organic ham (optional)
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled
2 peppers, 1 yellow and 1 red pepper looks beautiful in the finished salad
4 sticks of celery, trimmed and peeled (to remove the stringy outer layer)
200g cheddar cheese
1 cucumber, deseeded
3 medium tomatoes, skins removed and deseeded
2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
2 ripe avocados, peeled and stone removed
Very simply prep all of the above ingredients as listed and then cut into small dice, you want to aim to have everything evenly sized. Serve on one large platter adding each component as you prepare the salad. Cover the salad platter with cling film and refrigerate until ready to serve. I would add the avocado only just before serving.
To prepare the vinaigrette add to a jar: 1/2 tablespoon mustard, 3/4 tablespoon runny honey, generous pinch of sea salt and good grinds of black pepper, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar and 6 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil. Screw on the lid and shake to combine
When ready to eat serve the salad platter with the vinaigrette on the side, everyone can help themselves and dress their own salad.