Total time: 3½ hours
Serves: 3–4
Panzanella
1 loaf French or Italian bread
1 cup (8 fl oz/237 ml) canola oil
6 slices salami, cut into quarters
¼ cup Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
½ cup Gouda cheese, shredded
1 cup fennel, julienned
1 head Boston Bibb lettuce, washed, halved, core removed, and leaves torn into large pieces
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
16 leaves parsley
¼ cup (2 fl oz/59 ml) Belgian tripel
4–6 oz (118–177 ml) Creamy Dressing (recipe below)
Preheat the oven to 170°F (77°C). Tear the bread into large chunks, about the size of a golf ball. Place the bread onto a sheet pan and bake for 2–3 hours, or until the bread is dry and crispy (it shouldn’t get brown).
In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the canola oil. Gently fry the salami in the oil until the bubbles are almost gone. Remove the salami to a paper towel to drain and cool. (When you remove the salami, it will still be soft, but it will crisp as it cools.)
In a large bowl, toss together the remaining ingredients and the cooled salami. To give the bread time to absorb some of the beer and dressing, let the salad rest for 5 minutes before serving. Season to taste with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Creamy Dressing
½ cup (4 fl oz/118 ml) red wine vinegar
2 Tbs 1 fl oz/29 ml) Dijon mustard
1 cup (8 fl oz/237 ml) olive oil
1 cup (8 fl oz/237 ml) canola oil
1 Tbs fresh thyme leaves
¾ cup (6 fl oz/177 ml) mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar and mustard. Slowly whisk in the olive and canola oils until the oils are fully incorporated and emulsified. Whisk in the thyme leaves and mayonnaise. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Beer Suggestions: Tripel Karmeliet (Buggenhout, Belgium), Chimay White (Chimay, Belgium), Smuttynose Tripel (Hampton, New Hampshire).