In Annalena's top 10: Zuni Bread Salad

"But if the chicken is about method, the bread salad is more about recipe." So begin the instructions to one of Annalena's favorite dishes EVER: Zuni bread salad. So as to avoid confusion, she speaks of Zuni restaurant, NOT of Zuni Native Americans.
At Zuni Cafe' in San Francisco, the amazing roast chicken, is always served with this salad - which isn't really a salad. You will find the roast chicken recipe in this blog, very early on. YOu do not find the bread salad recipe there because, as many of you will understand, Annalena loves this recipe so much she can only make it occasionally. Last weekend was one such occasion. Ah, she may very well have to say that she would eat this before pasta. It is THAT good. And ultimately, it is very easy to do. It will SEEM difficult as you read through this, but do it, once, and you will find that very little cooking is involved. And, you will find that it is very economical. The most expensive ingredient you will need, is olive oil.

So, first, let us collect our ingredients. You will need a loaf of good white bread. No bagged nonsense from the grocery store, but an honest, bakery loaf. If you can get ciabatta, that will work well. So will things with names like "Italian peasant loaf," and so forth. Get one that weighs at least 12 ounces. That will not be a problem, as most loaf breads are at least a pound. You are going to need about a half pound of the white soft stuff. You are also going to need a half cup of olive oil, 1.5 tablespoons of a white vinegar (champagne, white wine, etc), and a good solid teaspoon of a red vinegar. Do not mix them. And no balsamic vinegar here, please. You will also need a hefty tablespoon of currants. Now, realizing that not every home has currants in it, you could substitute raisins if you had to. The salad would not be as good, but you could. Sliver three cloves of garlic, and chop up enough scallions, or green garlic, or spring onions, until you have a quarter cup. Finally, you will need two tablespoons of nuts. Pine nuts are called for, but Annalena has made this "salad" with slivered almonds. The nuts are there for the crunch, but you do not want anything too assertive. No hazelnuts here, please.

Turn your oven to the broiler option (pushing the button again....), and while that gets cranking up, take your bread, and remove as much of the crust as you can, and save it to make crumbs. Once you have the white grain, tear it into uneven chunks. No knives here, ragazzi, use your hands. You want irregular shapes. For 8 ounces, four hunks are fine. Now rub them all over with olive oil, put them on a pan under the broiler, and leave them for two minutes. Then turn them over for another two minutes, and get them out of the oven. They will be just lightly toasted, and the toasting will be uneven. Much of this dish is about unevenness and the nooks and crannies. All good.

Take a quarter cup of the olive oil, and mix it with the white vinegar. Stir it up, and save it, while you tear the cooled bread, into chunks. Again, a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of bad cooks. Uneven, please. Bigger chunks, smaller chunks, etc. Put the stuff into a bowl, and pour that oil and vinegar mixture over it. Taste it. You want something slightly tart. If it is not tart enough for you, add a dash more vinegar. Put the bowl aside, and take that red vinegar, mix it with an equal amount of water, and pour that over the currants or raisins.

At this point, turn the oven to 500. If the broiler function has been working, you will have no trouble . It will be "there." And ready....

But not yet. Now, take a bit of the olive oil you have remaining, and add it to a small skillet, and toss in the garlic slivers and the scallions. Cook them until the scallions just begin to soften, and then stir in the nuts. Toss everything together for a minute, and then dump the stuff into the bread. So, too, with the currants and their soaking liquid.

Stir it all together, and toss it into a baking dish just big enough to hold it. Again, taste . You might want more olive oil, you might want more salt, you might want more vinegar, you may want all of the above. Go for it. Put this into the oven for 20 minutes. The original recipe calls for a foil "tent," which Annalena never uses.

And at the end of twenty minutes, you are done. And you have what is a remarkable "stuffing" without the need for that nasty cardboard box. IF you are making the chicken, you can put this into the oven after you have turned it for the final time. And if you want sheer bliss, pour a spoonful or two of the chicken drippings on the salad before you put it on the plate with the bird. But if you don't, that's fine, and you have a wonderful vegan side dish. Go back and check. No animal products in here, yes?

You will understand why Annalena does not make this often. This recipe theoretically serves four. Annalena could eat the whole thing herself.

Has she? She'll never tell. Will you?