Blue Cheese, Walnut, and Chicory Salad
Description
Chef John proves that bitter chicory is transformed when mixed with blue cheese, toasted walnuts, and a sweet and tangy mustard vinaigrette.
Ingredients
•
1 cup chopped walnuts
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2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
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6 tablespoons rice vinegar
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3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
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1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1/2 cup olive oil
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1 head radicchio
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4 heads Belgian endive
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4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
Directions
1
Stir or toss walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat until very hot to the touch and toasted, about 5 minutes.
2
Mix Dijon mustard, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and pepper together in a bowl for dressing. Pour in olive oil, about 1 teaspoon at a time, whisking constantly, until thick and coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust as necessary.
3
Cut radicchio in half; cut out the core using 2 angled cuts. Cut each half in half again and slice across into about 1-inch pieces. Slice root ends off of endive and peel off about 1/3 of the leaves, leaving them whole for presentation. Slice remaining endive into 1/2-inch pieces.
4
Transfer all radicchio and endive to a bowl and toss, making sure leaves are separated and evenly distributed. Crumble in about 1/2 of the walnuts and 1/2 of the blue cheese. Pour in dressing and toss with your hands until everything is perfectly coated.
5
Place whole endive spears on a serving plate. Pile salad on top and scatter remaining walnuts and blue cheese on top.