Asian Pear Salad With Crispy Shallots

Subtly sweet and extremely crunchy, Asian pears are an underutilized but deeply effective salad ingredient. Cut into batons, they look a bit like potatoes destined for the fryer, but they soak up a bright vinaigrette with ease and play very nicely with chiles and herbs.

By Bonappetit

Original recipe source

Cook time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 pieces Asian pears
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 1 piece red chili
• 0.5 cup fresh cilantro
• 0.5 cup fresh mint leaves
• 2 pieces shallots
• 1 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Cut the Asian pears into batons, resembling the size and shape of French fries.
2. Prepare the vinaigrette by whisking together the rice vinegar, olive oil, and a pinch of salt.
3. Toss the pear batons in the vinaigrette and let them soak for 5 minutes.
4. Thinly slice the red chili and set aside.
5. Chop the fresh cilantro and mint leaves.
6. If making crispy shallots from scratch, thinly slice shallots and fry them in vegetable oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
7. Combine the soaked pears, sliced chili, chopped herbs, and crispy shallots in a large bowl.
8. Toss the salad gently to combine all ingredients evenly.
9. Adjust seasoning with additional salt if needed.
10. Serve the salad immediately, ensuring each serving has a good mix of pears, herbs, chili, and shallots.