Pear salad with roquefort and walnuts
“Pears are often dismissed as boring but I find them one of the most sensual fruits.”
- 1 witlof, leaves separated
- 2 handfuls of rocket, excess stems nipped off
- 2 handfuls of heart of frisee salad or any other choice salad variety
- 80g roquefort
- 80g walnuts
- 2 ripe pears
- 1 tbsp walnut oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
I love fresh pears with cheese: good with parmesan and stilton, but perhaps even better with roquefort. And a salad of witlof and slightly bitter frilly curly endive leaves with a few toasted walnuts, a drizzle of walnut oil and a slice of roquefort would have to be one of the great combinations of all time.
Method
Wash all salad leaves very well, spin dry and store loosely wrapped in a clean cloth in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the salad.
Have the cheese at room temperature 30 minutes before serving the salad.
Spread walnut halves on an oven tray and toast them for 5 minutes or so in a moderate oven.
Halve pears lengthwise. Remove core and central stringy stem. Place flat on workbench and cut across the pear into even slices.
Mix the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a salad bowl. Drop in the salad leaves and turn to mix well.
To serve
Divide salad between four plates. Fan each pear half onto a plate, crumble the roquefort between the salads and scatter over the toasted walnuts. Season and serve.
Serves 4.
