Ovation Overboard Salad
Based on:
TypeSalad
Serves4 people
DateNovember 9, 2026
Piano keys float as winners on a green ocean: a showy salad with a nod to the overboard pianist.
A fresh salad with golden croutons and a piano keyboard of mozzarella and black olives, floating on a green ocean of lettuce. The keys form the silhouette of a piano adrift on blue-green water, referencing the overboard pianist.
Ingredients
- 200 g mixed salad greens (arugula, lamb's lettuce, baby spinach)
- 2 balls mozzarella
- 16 pitted black olives
- 1 cucumber
- 1 lemon
- 8 slices baguette
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 clove garlic
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Cut the baguette slices diagonally in half, drizzle with olive oil, and toast for 8 minutes until golden brown.
- Rub the warm croutons with the cut garlic clove and let cool.
- Cut the mozzarella into slices about 1 cm thick. From these, cut 12 rectangular 'keys'.
- Halve the olives lengthwise and cut 8 halves into thin slices for the 'black keys'.
- Slice the cucumber into thin ribbons with a peeler.
- Toss the salad greens with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Spread over a large platter as the 'ocean'.
- Lay the mozzarella keys in a gently curved line on the salad as a floating keyboard. Place the olive slices as black keys on top.
- Arrange the cucumber ribbons playfully around the keys as waves.
- Place the golden croutons at the edge of the salad as 'lifeboats'.
- Serve immediately.
Serving notes
- Serve on a large oval platter for a cruise ship feel.
- Drizzle extra lemon juice over the keys just before serving for a fresh note.