Red Chicory, Pear, Walnut and Roquefort Salad, Sherry Vinaigrette

A very pretty but beautifully simple salad of classical French origin. Try and find the red chicory if you can, the taste is the same but the ascetics are much improved. The sherry vinaigrette is one of my staple salad dressings and the one I turn to most often. For two as a side dish, or one as a main.

Ingredients:

Red chicory - 1 head

Ripe conference pear - 1

Lemon - 1

Roquefort - 75g

Walnut pieces - 50g

Olive oil (not extra virgin) - 200ml

Sherry vinegar - 50ml

Garlic - 1/3 of a fat clove

Honey - 3 tbsp

Salt and finely ground black pepper

Method:

Peel the pear, cut into quarters and remove the cores. Slice thinly and submerge in water along with the juice from the lemon - this keeps the pear nice and white. To make the vinaigrette, mix the seasoning with the vinegar until dissolved - salt won't dissolve once the oil has been added. Beat in the honey and garlic then drizzle in the oil beating all the time until the vinaigrette emulsifies.

Drain the pear and in a roomy bowl, dress the leaves liberally with the vinaigrette. You will have more vinaigrette than you need so same some for another day. Artfully arrange the chicory and pear on a serving plate, crumble with Roquefort and sprinkle with the walnuts....easy as that.