</head>This is Cook Like a Pro, in which experts share tips, tricks, and techniques that elevate a good dish to an unforgettable one.
“I’ll just have a salad.” Usually that line gets you an express ticket to Boring Town. Not so at Ava Gene’s, where McFadden elevates salads from afterthought to must-order. It’s all about his approach: Start with vegetables—all kinds of vegetables treated all kinds of ways. Add crunch with nuts or seeds. Then make sure everything is lit up by a lightning bolt of acid (we like to use the word bracing). Finally, a dose of creaminess instantly turns light into satisfying. Follow his formula and you’ll become a salad savant too. —Belle Cushing
4 garlic cloves, smashed
½ cup heavy cream
Kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more
¼ cup blanched hazelnuts
4 small carrots, scrubbed
6 heads Little Gem lettuce
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, divided
½ cup mint leaves
1½ oz. SarVecchio or Parmesan, shaved
Flaky sea salt
Combine garlic and cream in a small bowl. Season with salt and ½ tsp. pepper. Cover and chill 1 hour.
Toast the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet in a 350° oven, tossing occasionally, until golden, 8–10 minutes. Let cool; coarsely chop.
Thinly slice the carrots lengthwise on a mandoline and separate leaves from lettuce.
Strain the infused cream into a medium bowl and add the oil. Whip to very soft peaks, then whisk in 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
Toss the carrots, lettuce, mint leaves, and half of hazelnuts with remaining 1 Tbsp. lemon juice in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add a few dollops of lemon cream and gently toss to coat. Spoon remaining lemon cream onto a platter and mound salad over. Top with cheese, remaining hazelnuts, and some cracked pepper and flaky sea salt. 4 servings