As Bobby Flay told Bon Appétit, his salad prep starts with seasoning the lettuce with salt and pepper, which is pretty standard. However, to dress the greens, he dresses the bowl.

Per Flay, pouring vinaigrette directly onto the greens ruins them. He says, “Pour [it] around the sides of the bowl, and … gently push the greens into the dressing to coat them.”

Although pushing the greens yourself is an artisanal approach, a gentle swirl around the bowl aided by physics should do well, too, so long as it's large enough to avert spillage.

Flay's tip keeps you from using too much dressing to taste and prevents the stuff from weighing down your dainty greens. “You want the greens glistening, not limp,” he says.