Pear And Blue Cheese Salad

Ripe pear and Roquefort on bitter leaves with toasted walnuts and a walnut oil vinaigrette. The pear is soft and sweet, the cheese is sharp and salty, the walnuts add crunch and a slight bitterness that ties it all together!

Prep15

Cook5

Total20

Servings As starter

Difficulty

Ingredients

For the salad

2 pears ripe but firm
120 gr Roquefort
80 gr walnuts
60 gr lambs lettuce
40 gr curly endive
40 gr radicchio
1 squeeze lemon juice to stop the pear browning

For the walnut vinaigrette

3 tbsp walnut oil
1 tbsp olive oil or neutral oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and black pepper

Equipment

frying pan for toasting the walnuts
glass jar for the vinaigrette
knife
chopping board
large salad bowl

Instructions

Toast the walnuts

Put the walnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Toast for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking regularly, until golden and nutty-smelling. Watch closely, they burn fast. Tip onto a plate to cool, then break up roughly by hand.

Make the vinaigrette

Whisk the Dijon and red wine vinegar together in a small bowl. Add the walnut oil and olive oil in a slow stream, whisking, until smooth and emulsified. Season well with salt and pepper. It should be sharp and nutty with a bit of backbone.

Prepare the pear

Core the pears and slice thinly, about 5mm (no need to peel). Toss briefly in a little lemon juice to stop them browning, just a light coating.

Assemble

Dress the leaves lightly with about two-thirds of the vinaigrette and toss gently. Divide between plates or arrange in a bowl. Lay the pear over the top, scatter the Roquefort in rough chunks, and finish with the walnuts. Drizzle over the remaining vinaigrette just before serving.

Serve immediately

This salad doesn't sit well once dressed, so bring it to the table straight away, before the leaves wilt and the pear softens. Five minutes is fine, thirty is not.

Notes

Roquefort is traditional, but Fourme d'Ambert (milder) or Bleu d'Auvergne (less intense, still AOP) work well too.
Walnut oil is for the real French flavour. It goes rancid quickly, so keep it in the fridge.
The leaves: mâche, frisée and radicchio are classic. A "bistro salad" or "bitter leaves" bag does the job.
Add vegetarian lardons if you fancy, pan-fried crisp and scattered over while warm. A common French variation, and a good one.

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