Pear, date & walnut salad with creamy stilton dressing

boxing day lunch cheese and fruit salad crème fraîche date dates gary rhodes recipe ginger lime limes pear pears salad leaf salad leaves salad starter stilton walnut walnut oil walnuts watercress winter winter salad starter

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Source

Ingredients

3 ripe pears , quartered and cored, peel left on

juice 1 lime

100g crème fraîche

300g stilton , crumbled, room temperature

1-2 tbsp ginger syrup (from a jar of ginger in syrup)

100g pack broken walnuts

12 dates (Medjool are good), stoned and chopped

walnut oil , for drizzling

225g bag mixed salad leaves

1 large watercress , divided into sprigs

Method

Cut the pear quarters into thin slices and toss in a bowl with the lime juice to help protect their natural colour. Blend the crème fraîche with half the stilton, ginger syrup to taste, and enough water (3-4 tbsp) to give a smooth, thick coating consistency. (Don’t add too much water or it may separate.)

Scatter the pear slices over six serving plates and follow with the walnuts, dates and remaining cheese. Can be prepared to this stage up to an hour ahead.

Drizzle each salad with a little of the dressing and some walnut oil. Season with a grinding of pepper – you shouldn’t need salt, as the cheese is salty. Mix the salad leaves and watercress very lightly with just a bit more dressing – some leaves should be touched by the dressing, some untouched. Gently pile the leaves on top of each salad.