Honeyed Goats Cheese Salad with Melon and Proscuitto
My heart and (frankly my stomach) are still in the South of France after the summer holidays. I have bought back with me a renewed love of dinner salads which the French do so well.
Large plates heaped with sweet green salad leaves dressed in a simple vinaigrette, with additions of smoked salmon, prawns, local cheeses, toast, prosciutto and whatever else is local and delicious.
This salad is my version of some of the tastes I loved most and wanted to recreate at home. If you can get it, a goat’s cheese that has a mineral tang to it works really well.
This is especially nice on a hot day in the garden, perhaps with a cold glass of white wine if you have nowhere else to be.
Method
Serves 4
Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 0 mins
Pre-heat the oven to 200c/180c Fan. Put the walnuts on a baking tray and place on the middle shelf of the oven for approx 7 minutes until golden brown. Set a timer as they catch and burn easily. Remove from the oven and set aside
Meanwhile, prepare the salad leaves. Cut the ends off the little gem lettuce and remove any tougher outer leaves. Wash thoroughly and dry. Tear into bite sized pieces and tip into a large bowl. Add the baby salad leaves and gently mix together with your hand.
Cut the melon in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Cut each half into 4 slices and cut the melon away from the skin. Discard the skin.
Lay out your crackers on a baking sheet or large chopping board. Cut the goats cheese into thin slices and divide between the crackers. Drizzle over the honey.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together with a fork in a small bowl or mug until they are completely combined. Pour over the salad leaves. Toss the leaves to make sure they are all coated.
Take four large dinner plates and divide the salad leaves between them. Place two pieces of melon on each of the plates.
Tear the prosciutto slices into smallish pieces and share between the salads.
Place two of the crackers with goat’s cheese on top of each of the salads. Crush the walnuts with the back of a fork and sprinkle over to finish the dish.
Serve straight away.
Ingredients
60g walnut halves, toasted
160g pack of mixed baby salad leaves
4 x little gem lettuce
6 slices of prosciutto
200g goats cheese room temperature
8 long thin crackers
2-3 tbsp runny honey
1 small ripe cantaloupe melon
Dressing
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tbsp mild olive oil
Small pinch caster sugar
Large pinch of fine sea salt
Large pinch of freshly ground black pepper
