Chef Steven Satterfield's Peanut Field Salad
Meet Steven Satterfield, the executive chef and co-owner of Miller Union, a celebrated ingredient-driven restaurant located in Atlanta's West Side neighborhood. The restaurant, which opened in 2009, has become an institution and has been recognized as a top restaurant in America by Eater, Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, and Esquire.
He joined HRN host Eli Sussman on The Line to talk about opening his restaurant and how he has kept it running smoothly after all these years of operation; growing up in Savannah; seasonal Georgia cooking; and the many local ingredients he works with, including peanuts and okra.
Recently he teamed up with Southern Peanut Growers to educate fellow chefs about why he loves to cook with peanuts. They are one of the most sustainable, plant-based proteins anyone can work with. From water conservation to soil improvement, peanuts make sustainable more attainable.
Below he shares his recipe for Peanut-Field Pea Salad with Lemon Ricotta. In addition to following along with his steps, you can watch him prepare this and other delcious recipes (like crispy chicken thighs with spicy peanut sauce and snapper in peanut-tomato broth with coconut rice) in these videos!
Peanut-Field Pea Salad with Lemon Ricotta
For the vinaigrette:
1 garlic clove
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the lemon ricotta:
Zest of 2 lemons
¼ cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
For the salad:
2 cups field peas, blanched in salted water and shocked in ice water
1 cup shelled boiled peanuts
1 large ripe tomato, diced
1 sweet bell pepper, diced
Kosher salt
½ cup dry-roasted peanuts, lightly crushed
¼ cup chopped mint
Make the vinaigrette:
On a cutting board, finely chop the garlic, then add the salt. Using the side of your knife, rub the garlic and salt against the cutting board until they form a paste. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, vinegar, mustard and a few cranks of pepper. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the oil until emulsified. Makes 2/3 cup.
Make the ricotta:
In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest and juice and let sit for 5 minutes. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the zest from the juice and discard the zest. Add the salt to the lemon juice and stir until dissolved. In a small saucepan, combine the milk and cream, then add the lemon mixture. DO NOT STIR. Place the pot over medium-low heat just until it starts to simmer, then remove the pan from the heat.Set aside until the mixture reaches room temperature, around 1 hour—by then the mixture will have separated into thick curds and liquid(whey).Makes 2 cups.
Using a ladle, gently transfer the milk mixture into a cheesecloth-lined sieve placed over a container, being careful not to break up the curds too much. Let drain for 1 hour, then check the consistency. If the cheese drains for too long and becomes thick, simply add some of the whey from the container back to the cheese and stir well to combine to the desired consistency. Once you’ve achieved the consistency you like,transfer the cheese to a lidded container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Make the salad:
In a small bowl, combine the field peas and boiled peanuts. Add the tomato and peppers and toss with 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette (store the remaining vinaigrette in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to 2 weeks). Season lightly with salt and set aside.
In four shallow bowls, spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of ricotta across the center of each bowl. Evenly divide the salad among the bowls, piling it on top of the ricotta. Top each salad with some of the dry-roasted peanuts and chopped mint, dividing them among the bowls. Serve immediately.
