Published January 1, 2013. From Cook's Illustrated.
For a winter salad that doesn’t taste like an austere version of dessert, befriend the bitter side of citrus.
We rarely take full advantage of citrus salads in the winter, usually limiting ourselves to eating oranges out of hand and grapefruits only at breakfast.
We wanted citrus salads that could light up our table all winter long.
For maximum color, we decided to use both red grapefruits and navel oranges, which we peeled, halved, and sliced into delicate half-moons. To temper the grapefruits’ sourness, we seasoned them with a bit of sugar and salt. To remove the excess liquid that the fruit exuded as it sat, we treated the fruit with salt, let their tangy juices drain off, and reserved them before plating the citrus.
To prevent the heavier ingredients from sinking to the bottom of the bowl, we composed the salad instead of tossing it: We arranged the citrus slices on a platter; drizzled them with oil; and then topped that with greens tossed with mustard, shallot, and citrus juice. We also mixed some of the auxiliary ingredients, such as nuts, in with the greens and sprinkled the remainder on top.
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