Winter
Winter Salad
- Serves 4-6
Author Notes
A salad of contrasts - sweet-tart ruby red grapefruit, tangy mild blue cheese, crisp candied walnuts, bitter watercress or arugula, accessorized —NotesOnDinner
What You'll Need
Ingredients
- The Salad
-
2
bunches of watercress
-
1 piece
blue castello or other mild creamy blue cheese
-
1/2 cup
candied walnuts
-
2
pink grapefruits
-
1 tablespoon
currants
-
1
shallot, thinly sliced
-
2 tablespoons
champagne vinegar
-
1 teaspoon
red vinegar
-
6 tablespoons
olive oil
-
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Candied Walnuts
-
1 cup
walnut pieces (mostly halves)
-
2 tablespoons
maple syrup
-
1 tablespoon
sugar
-
1/2 teaspoon
kosher sea salt
-
1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
-
1 pinch
cayenne
Directions
- The Salad
- Combine 1 tbsp hot water and red vinegar in a very small bowl with 1 tbsp currants.
- In another very small bowl, toss champagne vinegar with the sliced shallot.
- Wash and dry the leaves of watercress and mound on a large platter.
- Cut the Blue Castello into small pieces, removing any rind, and strew over leaves.
- With a very sharp knife cut the top and bottom off the grapefruit. Cut off all the rind and pith. Over a medium sized bowl, carefully slice between the membranes to remove the fruit in sections, catching any juice and the fruit in the bowl.
- Arrange the sectioned grapefruit over the salad.
- Toss the walnuts over the top.
- Lift the shallots out of the vinegar carefully, reserving the vinegar for the dressing. Pulling the rings apart, scatter the shallots over the salad.
- Drain the currants, and toss over the salad.
- Add 1-2 tbsp grapefruit juice to the small bowl with the champagne vinegar. Whisk in olive oil, 1/2 tsp sea salt, and a few grindings black pepper. Dress the salad - you may not need all the dressing.
- Candied Walnuts
- Preheat the oven to 325.
- Toss all ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.
- Lightly spray a rimmed cookie sheet with vegetable oil.
- Spread the coated nuts over the cookie sheet.
- Toast for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool stirring every few minutes so they don't stick too badly to the pan.
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