Grana Padano, pear, chicory and caramelised walnut salad
This dish is all about contrast of texture and flavour - the creamy, deeply savoury Grana Padano with the honey-spiked walnuts. Sharp, refreshing chicory and subtly sweet, crunchy pears. For this reason, it’s best to use under-ripe pears for this dish. Firm pears are easier to slice, and they also provide a better contrast to the caramelised walnuts.
Ingredients
For the caramelised walnuts
100 g walnuts, broken into pieces
1 tablespoon soft brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
Black pepper
Sea salt
1 tsp Dried oregano
For the dressing
1 lemon, zested
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons grain mustard
Sea salt
Black pepper
For the salad
2 firm pears (see recipe intro)
2 heads of chicory
50 g Grana Padano cheese
1 x batch of caramelised walnuts
1 x batch of salad dressingPreparation
For the caramelised walnuts
Preheat the oven to 180℃.
Scatter the walnuts on a baking tray and roast for 5 to 7 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly browned.
Meanwhile, put the honey, sugar and a good grinding of black pepper in a small frying pan. Warm over a medium heat, stirring frequently.
When the honey begins to bubble and the sugar has dissolved, quickly tip in the toasted walnuts, a good pinch of sea salt, and the oregano. Stir well to make sure every walnut is evenly coated and seasoned.
Tip the walnuts out onto a non-stick baking mat or parchment paper. Leave to cool.
For the dressing
Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl and put to one side.
For the salad
Trim the pears, halve and remove the core. Slice into 2mm thick pieces using a mandolin or vegetable peeler and place into a large bowl.
Trim the base off the chicory, remove the leaves one-by-one, then quarter the middle when you can’t remove any more leaves. Add to the bowl.
Peel fine strips of Grana Padano into the bowl using a vegetable peeler.
Toss the salad gently but thoroughly with the dressing. Make sure everything is evenly coated with the dressing.
Arrange the salad on a platter, crumble over the caramelised walnuts, and serve straight away.
This recipe was produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions, on behalf of Grana Padano