The main star of bò lúc lắc is diced marinated beef. The meat is shortly seared before it is served on a bed of watercress and sliced tomatoes. Additional toppings may include pickled onions, and a dipping sauce resembling lime-based vinaigrette can be drizzled over the meat or served on the side. The dish was once a rare treat that was mainly prepared and served on special events. Nowadays, it is more common, but bò lúc lắc is still considered a restaurant specialty and a dish that is traditionally reserved for special occasions. It is also popular abroad and typically goes under the name Vietnamese shaking beef—which was inspired by its original name lúc lắc that describes the act of tossing or shaking the beef while it's being seared. A similar dish exists in Cambodia where it is better known as lok lak. It is believed that bò lúc lắc was inspired by the French culinary tradition that was present in Vietnam.
A shining example of American ingenuity and creativity, Cobb salad was invented in the 1930s at The Brown Derby, a famous Los Angeles restaurant whose owner, Robert Cobb, found some leftovers in the kitchen - hard-boiled eggs, salad greens, chicken breast, avocado, chopped bacon, tomatoes, and Roquefort cheese among them. He tossed all of the ingredients with some salt, pepper, and a vinaigrette consisting of olive oil, red vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce, and Cobb Salad started its way toward fame. The composed salad's popularity relies entirely on the careful preparation of each ingredient and their distinct textures, from juicy over crunchy to creamy. It is similar to a BLT sandwich without the bread, and thanks to a variety of movie stars who ate at the restaurant such as Clark Gable and Lucille Ball, the dish rose to stardom, becoming a symbol of Californian cuisine. Although the restaurant is closed today, the tradition of consuming Cobb salad remains a staple of American food.
Boil-up is a unique Māori technique of preparing meat and vegetables by boiling them in a large pot filled with water. The choice of meat can be anything from pork, beef, and chicken to goat and lamb, but it should be cut into large chunks. Typical vegetables include watercress, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and sweet potatoes known as kumara. When served, boil-up looks like a thick soup or a thin stew.
Cream of watercress is a traditional soup made with a base of watercress, the most British of greens. Other ingredients include chicken stock, heavy cream, onions, butter, and salt. The onions are sautéed in butter over medium-low heat, and the watercress is then added to the pot and cooked until fully wilted. The mixture is puréed until smooth, then poured into a pot with the cream. The soup shouldn’t boil, so it’s important to keep the flames low. Before serving, cream of watercress soup is simply seasoned with salt, then enjoyed while still hot.
Yum salad is a savory Laotian salad made with fresh watercress, boiled eggs, peanuts, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, garlic, and lime juice. Some recipes also include radicchio, coriander, radishes, shallots, and cucumbers. The vegetables and herbs are thinly sliced, while the boiled egg yolks are mashed together with fish sauce and lime to create a sweet and tangy dressing. Once the salad is assembled and tossed, the peanuts and garlic chips are sprinkled at the very top with a bit of olive oil, and it is ready to be served. Yum salad is usually eaten by itself as a healthy and delicious light meal, but it can also be served as an accompaniment to the main dish.
Berros regionales is a traditional dish that's prepared throughout Mexico. Often served as a salad or an appetizer, berros regionales is usually made with a combination of watercress, chopped bacon, walnuts, pine nuts, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. The watercress leaves are washed, placed into a salad bowl, then mixed with the pine nuts, chopped walnuts, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and bacon that's been fried over medium heat until browned and crisp. The ingredients are simply mixed together until everything is combined and the dish is then seasoned with salt and served immediately.
Salade cauchoise is a composed potato salad from the Pays de Caux in Seine-Maritime, where it is regarded as a regional specialty, made with local produce such as potatoes, dairy, and often cider vinegar. It is generally defined as a salad made with cooked potatoes, celery sticks, and watercress, sometimes enriched with diced ham, diced Gruyère, and walnut kernels, all coated in a dressing based on Norman cream and either lemon juice or cider vinegar. The link with the Pays de Caux, the plateau area north of the Seine around towns such as Le Havre, Dieppe, and Rouen, reflects the agricultural nature of this region, where potatoes, dairy cows, and apple orchards for cider are prominent. It is often suggested the salad likely emerged in the restaurant scene of the Le Havre–Dieppe–Rouen triangle, perhaps as a way for a cook to distinguish a local potato salad from the better-known “salade normande” that uses potatoes with apple pieces and a cider-based or mayonnaise dressing; in contrast, salade cauchoise centres on the combination of potatoes with watercress or other herbs and a cream-and-cider-vinegar sauce. The salad can be served warm or cooled, and some cooks recommend letting it rest so the flavours blend before adding fresh herbs and cress at the last moment to keep their colour and texture. It is eaten in Normandy both at home and in bistros showcasing regional dishes, usually as a starter or a main dish at lunchtime, sometimes packed into jars for picnics or buffets. Because it is relatively rich, it pairs well with crisp Norman cider, which echoes the cider vinegar used in the dressing, as well as with light, fresh white wines such as Muscadet, Sauvignon Blanc or young Loire whites; in a more casual context, it can also be served alongside cold cuts and cheeses as part of a mixed plate, where the creamy, herb-scented potatoes connect naturally with the broader flavours of Normandy.
Potaje de berros is a traditional soup originating from the Canary Islands. The soup is usually made with a combination of onions, garlic, tomatoes, watercress, carrots, pumpkin, potatoes, corn, white beans, chicken stock, olive oil, and salt. The onions, garlic, and tomatoes are sautéed in olive oil until soft. The carrots, pumpkin, potatoes, beans, and watercress are added to the pot, the mixture is covered with stock, and it’s then simmered until the beans are soft. The soup is blended or puréed until smooth, seasoned with salt, garnished with boiled corn kernels and watercress leaves, and served hot. The dish was invented as a way to use up new ingredients from the Americas, such as corn and potatoes.
Salade côte cap verte is a simple Senegalese salad that combines hard-boiled eggs with salad greens and a flavorful salad dressing. The hard-boiled eggs are finely chopped and placed on a large serving platter over coarsely chopped greens, usually leaf lettuce, watercress, or spinach. Often served on the side, the salad dressing is made with oil, dried herbs, garlic, ground pepper, and salt. In Senegal, this dish, which reflects the influence of French cuisine, is served both as a salad and as an appetizer.
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