Hot Kniveçois

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: composed salads are probably our favorite thing to make, even more favored to eat. This one is a bit of a mish mash of components; but they all reconcile in your mouth in a really radical way. Like the port city in France where the most popular and widespread composed salad has its origin, we’ve got a multitudinous culinary surrounding in Los Angeles. While The Niçoise Salad doesn’t necessarily extol the melting pot vibe of a maritime city center, this way off version highlights the slight Moroccan influence of Evan’s time spent at Elf Cafe, and the ever-inspiring tale of our favorite brand of Sriracha; a hot sauce made by a Vietnamese immigrant that now graces the world’s sundry shelves.
Lemon and Olive Roasted Potatoes
1 Idaho russet potato
1 onion
1 Meyer lemon
1/4 cup salt cured olives
1/8 cup Grapeseed Oil
2 Tbs. XVO
1. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Chop the potato and the onion into a 1/2 inch dice. Half and then quarter the lemon, and slice thin.
2. Heat the grapeseed oil in a nonstick sauté pan or a heavy cast iron skillet until it shimmers, then fry the potatoes until they get brown around the edges, about 10-15 minutes.
3. In a small roasting dish, combine the lemon, onions, olives, oil and potatoes and bake until the potatoes are thoroughly cooked, about another 20 minutes. Check the whole concoction after 7 minutes and stir to avoid sticking. When the potatoes are fall apart finished, remove from the heat and set aside.
Herb Salad
2 hearty romaine leaves, trimmed and cleaned.
10 stems of cilantro
8-10 stems of dill
5 stems of Thai basil, picked
6 stems of Shiso, picked
4 scallions, cleaned
1 Tbs. Arbequina XVO
2 Pinches of salt.
4. Pack all the herbs into one of the Romaine leaves, packing in the scallions last.
5. Sidle the second and third romaine leave against the first as if the lettuce was spooning, and slice as thin as you can.
6. Dress with the olive oil and salt and set aside.

Sri-Natcha
(Makes about 1 cup)
10 red jalapenos (milder red chilies OK)
1 head garlic
1/8 cup canola oil
1 Tbs. agave nectar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
1/8 cup water
7. Slice the chilies in half and remove all the seeds with a grapefruit
spoon. Toss ’em in a hot pan on high heat with the canola oil. Peel your garlic and throw about half the cloves in with the chilies so they’re partially submerged in the oil to roast. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently and wearing something over your mouth.
8. Open your windows (seriously).
9. Once the chilies are soft and starting to blacken around the edges, they’re done. Add the agave to the pan and toss to coat. You wanna sweeten the chilies evenly and let it slightly caramelize on the high heat for 1-2 minutes. Be Careful: scalding hot sugar syrup will leave a nasty burn. Turn off the stovetop.
10. Combine chilies in a cuisinart or blender with the rest of the raw garlic, vinegar, water and salt. Pulse for several minutes until no chunks exist. You should be left with a pale red-pink sauce that slushes enough to bottle. If it’s too thick to blend don’t be afraid to slowly add another tablespoon or so of water (It will still be hot).
Soy Coated Sunflower Seeds
1/8 cup of sunflower seeds
1 Tsp. soy sauce
11. Heat a small non-stick pan on high heat, and add the sunflower seeds.
12. When the seeds start to release their oil, about 3-5 minutes, begin tossing regularly to toast evenly.
13. Add the soy when the sunflower seeds have turned golden and smell faintly of turkey. Cook the soy until its pretty much gone.
14. Arrange the salad thus: small pile of potatoes, topped with a nice pinch of greens, surrounded by a generous portion of the hot sauce, with a sprinkling of sunflower seeds for garnish.

Beverage: Saison Dupont
Soundtrack: Randy Newman’s Political Science