Radicchio, Chestnut and Blue Cheese Salad with a Citrus, Grain Mustard and Honey Dressing
by Nigella. Featured in AT MY TABLEIntroduction
Bitter leaves, salty cheese, sweet waxy chestnuts: this is a winter salad that I can't confine myself to eating just in season. I generally go for Gorgonzola or Stilton here, but essentially what you need is blue cheese that will crumble well without going into buttery clumps. And while I would never normally condone putting either in the fridge, here the cheese must be cold so that you can crumble it.
I make this dressing — which truly deserves stand-alone billing — a lot. It's perfect with all robust bitter leaves, but, used a little more sparingly, also with any lettuce with a bit of crunch to it. When I want more than just a sprinkle of salt, a spritz of lemon juice and a glug of extra-virgin olive oil on a salad, this has now become my default dressing, and I make it in weekly batches.
And I can report that you can use walnuts rather than chestnuts very successfully here, too.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Bitter leaves, salty cheese, sweet waxy chestnuts: this is a winter salad that I can't confine myself to eating just in season. I generally go for Gorgonzola or Stilton here, but essentially what you need is blue cheese that will crumble well without going into buttery clumps. And while I would never normally condone putting either in the fridge, here the cheese must be cold so that you can crumble it.
I make this dressing — which truly deserves stand-alone billing — a lot. It's perfect with all robust bitter leaves, but, used a little more sparingly, also with any lettuce with a bit of crunch to it. When I want more than just a sprinkle of salt, a spritz of lemon juice and a glug of extra-virgin olive oil on a salad, this has now become my default dressing, and I make it in weekly batches.
And I can report that you can use walnuts rather than chestnuts very successfully here, too.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Serves: 4-6
For the dressing
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 x 15ml tablespoon regular olive oil
- A drop of toasted sesame oil
- A fat pinch of Maldon sea salt flakes
For the salad
- 1 large or 2 small (350-400g / 12-14oz total weight) radicchio (torn into bite-sized pieces)
- 100 grams vacuum-packed chestnuts (broken up into small pieces)
- 100 grams sharp (not creamy) blue cheese (fridge-cold, crumbled)
For the dressing
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon regular olive oil
- A drop of toasted Asian sesame oil
- A fat pinch of kosher salt
For the salad
- 1 large or 2 small (350-400g / 12-14oz total weight) radicchio (torn into bite-sized pieces)
- ¾ cup vacuum-packed chestnuts (broken up into small pieces)
- 4 ounces sharp (not creamy) blue cheese (fridge-cold, crumbled)
Method
- Put all the dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake to mix, or whisk together in small jug or bowl.
- Put the torn-up pieces of radicchio into a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over them and toss patiently and well. Add the broken-up chestnuts and most of the crumbled blue cheese and toss again, gently but throughly, then tip into a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining blue cheese on top.
- Put all the dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake to mix, or whisk together in small jug or bowl.
- Put the torn-up pieces of radicchio into a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over them and toss patiently and well. Add the broken-up chestnuts and most of the crumbled blue cheese and toss again, gently but throughly, then tip into a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining blue cheese on top.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Refrigerate dressing in a sealed container for up to 7 days. Shake before use.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Refrigerate dressing in a sealed container for up to 7 days. Shake before use.
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What 1 Other has said
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Posted by eddy_ on 18th July 2019
Show more commentsI used grapefruit juice in place of orange juice and it tasted divine. A truly popular house dressing really! Thank you, Nigella!