Island Bites: A spring dish that satisfies

When I was a kid, my family had a tradition of going to Benihana (yes, the Japanese steakhouse chain restaurant) right around New Year’s Eve. And I always loved the carrot-ginger dressing they put on their salads. In fact, I’d ask the waiter for an extra amount on the side, which ended up over all my food (to the delight of the knife-flipping chef). So when I became a chef, I started to wonder about making the dressing myself. 

And wow is it easy.

Carrot-ginger dressing is a tangy combination of carrots, ginger, rice vinegar and a few other simple ingredients. And this is a great time of year to make it as carrots will soon be popping up at farmers markets on the North and South forks. These fresh and often non-refrigerated carrots will have more flavor than the store bought ones.

I make this dressing all the time and keep it in the fridge to use on salads, steamed vegetables, grilled meats and more. It keeps for a few weeks in a tightly-sealed container. The recipe below uses the dressing with sirloin steak and arugula. But you can easily opt for another salad green and a different cut of steak like flat iron, flank, strip or even tenderloin. The dish is a great starter course for a spring dinner but also makes for a nice lunch all by itself.

Don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected] with any questions about this recipe or cooking in general. I’d love to hear from you.

Bon appetit!

Steak salad with carrot-ginger dressing

Serves 4 | Cooking time: About 25 minutes

Dressing (Makes about 2 cups):

½ pound carrots (3 medium), peeled and coarsely chopped

¼ cup peeled and chopped fresh ginger

¼ cup chopped shallots

¼ cup rice (or white wine) vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/3 cup vegetable oil

¼ cup water

Pinch each of sugar and salt

Sirloin Steak and Arugula:

¾ pound sirloin steak

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 bunches of fresh arugula (or one container of packaged arugula)

Pre-heat oven to 475. Remove steak from refrigerator 15 minutes prior to cooking. Pat steak dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. In a skillet, add oil and heat until smoking hot. Add steak and sear on both sides, about 4 minutes per side, turning down the heat to medium if necessary. Place skillet in oven and finish cooking for another 10 minutes for medium rare. Remove steak from skillet and let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

For the dressing, blend carrots and water in a food processor until mushy. Add all remaining ingredients and mix until almost liquified.  With motor running, add vegetable oil in a slow stream. Taste and adjust for seasoning (some might like it more salty). You can also add more water at this point if you prefer a slightly thinner dressing.

If the arugula is fresh, chop off the root ends and wash until completely free of dirt. This may take 2 or 3 washes depending on the salad.  Dry completely in a salad spinner. Slice the steak. In a large bowl, mix the salad greens with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the dressing (or more if you like). Serve in a bowl or plate with 4 or 5 slices of steak per plate plus a few extra dollops of dressing.

Chef’s Note: I find the best way to peel ginger is simply use the back of a knife and scrape off the skin.  You’ll waste less ginger than using a vegetable peeler.