Pic of Winter salad with spiced pecans, pears and Devon Blue

Winter salad with spiced pecans, pears and Devon Blue

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Salads

Winter salad with spiced pecans, pears and Devon Blue

Serves 4 20 min
The spiced pecans are so delicious on their own that you'll have to guard them or they will disappear before you have a chance to serve the salad. You could always give up and serve them pecans own with drinks – but the salad's worth persevering with! If you can't get Devon Blue, Gorgonzola or dolce latte make good substitutes.

Cook's notes

For a basic vinaigrette, mix together 240ml sunflower oil, 4 tbsp good-quality balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar, ½ garlic clove, crushed to a paste with a little salt, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Ingredients

  • 75g pecan nuts
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • dash Tabasco sauce
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 300g mixed winter salad leaves
  • 3 ripe pears, peeled, cored and sliced
  • 3 tbsp basic vinaigrette
  • 75g Devon Blue cheese, crumbled
Image of Winter salad with spiced pecans, pears and Devon Blue

Method

Prep time: 10 min
Cooking time: 10 min

  • Step 1

    Preheat oven to 200°C/Gas 6.

  • Step 2

    In a small bowl, mix the pecans with the cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and salt. Scatter them over a baking tray and bake in the oven for 5-6 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

  • Step 3

    Wash and dry the salad leaves and set aside.

  • Step 4

    Put the pears and salad leaves in a bowl and toss with the dressing. Divide between 4 plates, scatter over the blue cheese and pecan nuts and serve.

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