Why do restaurant salads taste so much better than any salad I try to make at home, even if I use the restaurant’s dressing?
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Whatever else you consume at the restaurant like drinks or other dishes might make the salad taste different. Like how pairing a good red with a particular cheese makes the cheese taste better then if you ate it with nothing else.
The fact that someone else made it can have can make it seem better too.
If someone makes a pizza for me at work, it tastes a little “better” for some reason lol. If I make it, then its just a little more boring.
It’s a little placebo effect I guess.
If you’re using bags of pre-cut lettuce in your home salad then the taste difference may be the weird gas pumped into those things to keep them from oxidizing.
Simplest answer: you did make it. You aren’t second guessing your recipe and if you did it right.
What everyone else said. Also how old is your dressing. Most salad dressings are oily and therefore susceptible to rancidity. A restaurant probably uses it quicker than whatever I’ve got hiding in the back of my fridge
Chill your lettuce. World of difference. And make your dressing fresh! Store bought will never be better.
Salad spinner. You should always wash and spin your lettuce. Also there are a few techniques depending on the type of greens you are using. For instance, Kale, you can brine to make it less fibrous. If you are doing something like Brussels sprout leaves you can blanch and chill them.
I’m not sure if it has been mentioned, but as someone who likes cheese, do not buy pre-shredded cheese. Grate the cheese from a block yourself. Packaged shredded cheese contains cellulose or corn starch or something additional to prevent the cheese from all sticking together by the time you get it. Fresh shredded cheese is way better. It doesn’t even have to be special or expensive cheese (for me) just a block of the cheese you might otherwise buy.
We toss it. When I was garde manger I would layer salads, tossing each part in dressing or at least a little oil. Then always finish with more flaky salt and oil/vinegar. Always toss in a mixing bowl, don’t just pore dressing over dry leaves in the serving bowl.
Also, when you make dressing at home taste as you go, and add more salt usually and make sure you have a “binder” like mustard that will help emulsify.
A place where I worked sold the salad dressing but in the salad dressing we served we actually added things to it.
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