Warm Salad of Grilled Pear, Roast Sichuan Pepper Almonds, Balsamic Braised Red Onions

Name: Warm Salad of Grilled Pear, Roast Sichuan Pepper Almonds, Balsamic Braised Red Onions
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, oregano or thyme leaves; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 4 tablespoons boiling water; 125 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 3 medium red onions, sliced into 1 cm thick rings; 4 large ripe pears (crisp ones will work best); 400 g mâche; 2 handfuls of whole almonds, skin either off or on; ½ teaspoon freshly ground Sichuan pepper, sieved; 1 tablespoon caster sugar; 150 g Gorgonzola

Mâche, Gorgonzola Dressing

Preparation info

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Salads

By Peter Gordon

Published 2005

About

Pear and blue cheese is one of those classic combinations that just work. This salad takes that idea and gives it a bit more grunt – layering on a few more flavours and textures. This is a lovely autumnal meal, perhaps following on from a light vegetable broth and then finished with a warm fruit tart with crème fraîche.

Ingredients

3 medium red onions, sliced into 1 cm thick rings
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas 7. Mix the onion rings and herbs, and put into a non-reactive baking dish just large enough to hold them comfortably. Pour on the balsamic vinegar, all but 1 tablespoon