I’d like to use this blog to shout out some of the products I love using in the kitchen, from delicious ingredients to useful kit. First up, my salad spinner.
An ode to my salad spinner
When I was 21, I spent a year living in the south of France (oo la la, I know). One evening I found myself making dinner with a French guy and, as we made salad to accompany our meal, he used a salad spinner to dry his washed salad leaves. And it was honestly a revelation.
When I told him I’d never used one, he raised his eyebrow and replied in disdain – “What do you do in England then? Just eat wet lettuce?” And I nodded, ashamed.
Well ce monsieur really impacted on my life because that year I asked my mum for a salad spinner for Christmas. And now I honestly can’t believe I went so long without one.
I use it all the time, to wash and dry any leafy items I’m using, whether it’s salad leaves, shredded cabbage, or herbs. But it’s not just for salads. I also came to realise that it can be used to remove the moisture in cooked veg too. Say, for example, if you’ve wilted down a load of spinach to use in a feta & spinach filo pie and don’t want the water in the spinach to make the pie soggy – just give it a really good whirl in the spinner! You’ll be amazed how much water comes out (it’s extremely satisfying). Or, if you’re washing fruit and veg that doesn’t need to be dried, you can just whack it in the basket bit and use it like it’s a colander.
If reading this has convinced you to buy a salad spinner, the one I use is from OXO Good Grips. It’s really easy and satisfying to use, and the button can be clipped down when it’s not in use so that it takes up less space in the cupboard.
Anna Lawson eats... 