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.
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.
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!