Name: Foragers Salad with Crispy Pork Confit
Ingredients: 1 (4-inch piece) carrot, cut in thin ribbons with a peeler; 1 (4-inch piece) parsnip, cut in thin ribbons with a peeler; 4 yellow wax beans, blanched and cut in half; 4 blue lake beans, blanched and cut in half; 8 small chanterelles, cleaned; 1/4 red onions, thinly sliced; 1 cup curly endive leaves; 2 pieces pork confit; 1 teaspoon sherry wine vinegar; 2 teaspoon hazelnut oil; Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste; Pork Confit Ingredients; 1/2 pound boneless pork shoulder; 1 bay leaf; 1 sprig thyme; 1 clove garlic; Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Foragers Salad with Crispy Pork Confit

By: Chef Ken Frank

This isn't any old salad recipe. Foragers Salad with Crispy Pork Confit is a great option for a hearty meal. You'll want to make it again and again.

Ingredients

1 (4-inch piece) carrot, cut in thin ribbons with a peeler
1 (4-inch piece) parsnip, cut in thin ribbons with a peeler
4 yellow wax beans, blanched and cut in half
4 blue lake beans, blanched and cut in half
8 small chanterelles, cleaned
1/4 red onions, thinly sliced
1 cup curly endive leaves
2 pieces pork confit
1 teaspoon sherry wine vinegar
2 teaspoons hazelnut oil
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Pork Confit Ingredients
1/2 pound boneless pork shoulder
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 clove garlic
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Pork Confit Directions:

Preheat over to 240 degrees F.
Rub the pork with salt and pepper.
Place in a small pyrex roasting dish, add enough fat to cover, the garlic, thyme and bay leaf.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake 4 hours until the pork is "jiggly" tender.
Remove from oven, let cool to room temperature and chill intact overnight. Untouched (and carefully wrapped) in the refrigerator in its own fat, it will keep for weeks until ready to use.
Remove from fat when ready to use. Keep the fat to use next time.

For Foragers Salad:

Heat a small cast iron skillet over low flame until it is hot, add pork confit and sear gently for 2 minutes on each side.
In a large sauté pan, sauté the sliced onion, chanterelles and ribbons of parsnip and carrot with the hazelnut oil for about 2 minutes until they just begin to color.
Add the beans, season with salt and pepper, toss for 30 seconds.
Deglaze with the sherry vinegar, add the curly endive and toss again.
Divide salad among two plates and top with a piece of crisp confit.