Chicory, Blue Cheese, Pecan and Cranberry Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 225 g (8 oz) Cashel Blue cheese, cut into small cubes
- 1 head chicory
- a selection of salad leaves
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries, chopped very roughly
- 12 pecans
- dressing:
- 3 tbsp hazelnut or walnut oil
- 11⁄2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1⁄4 tsp Dijon mustard
- salt and black pepper to season
Method
- Mix all the ingredients for the dressing together in a jam jar. Toast the pecans on a baking tray at 180°C/350°F/gas 4 for 5–10 minutes — don’t leave them as they burn easily. When cool, chop or crumble them roughly. Trim the chicory and separate the leaves. Combine the cheese, nuts and cranberries in a bowl and toss with a little dressing.
- To assemble salad, choose a good mix of small salad leaves. Add some chicory and dressing. Add the cheese, nuts and cranberries.
- NOTE For canapés, the cheese, nut and cranberry mixture can be sparingly spooned into the small chicory leaves.