As a recipe developer and cookbook writer, I exploit my Microplane each day and don’t assume I might dwell with out my fish spatula. However a sturdy salad spinner is my prime advice. It’s the distinction between an ideal salad and one peppered with grit. And whereas I do eat a variety of salad, this kitchen instrument has so many makes use of past simply cleansing greens.
A salad spinner is successfully a colander and bowl bundled into one, and should you’re brief on kitchen space for storing (who isn’t?) this revelation will open up an entire new world of alternatives. Whereas any salad spinner you’ve got at dwelling works, I swear by my giant model from Oxo; and the BA workers loves Zyliss, for its quick outcomes. Listed below are my favourite methods to make use of a salad spinner—moreover salad.
Cauliflower and broccoli florets
Cruciferous greens like cauliflower and broccolini are greatest cooked when completely dry—that’s what will get you these crispy, burnished florets—however should you’ve ever tried to dry a head of broccoli you understand how difficult this may be. Enter the salad spinner, which simply removes all that additional moisture in a number of spins.
Leeks
Leeks have a status for being significantly soiled. Salad spinner to the rescue: First, take away the basket from the bowl and rinse sliced leeks to take away essentially the most egregious grit. Then place the basket again within the bowl and let the leeks soak, agitating the water to launch particles. Carry up the basket and pour out the soiled water. Repeat this soaking course of till the water is obvious. Lastly, pulse the salad spinner till the leeks are dry.
Fritters
I really like fritters, vegetable pancakes, and latkes alike, however I’ll admit that prepping the greens is painstaking. Regardless of what number of instances I wring out the kitchen towel, I all the time appear to have an excessive amount of moisture to get the fritters really crispy. Including the shredded greens to the salad spinner was a complete recreation changer. The veggies prove clear and dry, with much less bodily exertion and no kitchen towel required.
Beans
In the event you’ve ever made a pot of beans, that it’s necessary to type by means of the dried beans earlier than cooking to take away any particles or small stones. A salad spinner streamlines this: Add the beans to the colander and canopy with chilly water. Whereas the beans soak, the residue will fall to the underside. You’ll nonetheless should examine if there’s any shriveled beans that should be tossed, however in any other case you may merely take away the colander and also you’re able to get cooking.
Crudités
At any time when I have to maintain greens (like radishes and cucumbers) crunchy earlier than serving, a salad spinner does double obligation, by maintaining the veg crispy and rapidly eradicating moisture earlier than serving. Fill the salad spinner with chilly water and add a number of handfuls of ice, alongside along with your veg of selection—this may maintain them perky till you’re able to eat. As soon as it’s time to serve, pour out the water and spin till the greens are dry. It’s not a lot cleansing per se as it’s eliminating a step of prep work. And, should you’re attempting to be a bit extra environmentally aware, a much less apparent perk of the salad spinner is saving paper towels and slicing down on extra waste.
Spin away
