Pear and Parmesan Salad
Rocket and sliced pear with parmesan shavings and walnuts in a lemon and honey dressing.
Photograph credit: Mescaline* 07/22/2007 by Diana House · CC BY 2.0 · Flickr
Make Ahead and Storage
Best eaten at once.
Making Pear and Parmesan Salad
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Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, honey and pepper in a jar.
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Toss the rocket with half the dressing and divide between four plates.
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Lay the pear slices on top and scatter with the parmesan and walnuts.
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Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve at once.
Worth Knowing
- Slice the pears at the last minute.
- Shave the parmesan with a peeler.
- Dress lightly.
- Serve at once.
Why the Method Is What It Is
The pairing of pear and parmesan is an old Italian habit: a slice of fruit with a shard of cheese at the end of a meal. Here the two are tossed with rocket for a lighter first course.
Choose pears that are ripe but still firm, so the slices keep their shape and give a clean crunch. Slice them just before serving, since cut pear browns in minutes. A squeeze of lemon on the cut surface slows it. Shave the parmesan with a vegetable peeler. Thin ribbons melt on the tongue, and a grated cheese disappears into the leaves.
Whisk the oil, lemon juice and honey in a jar. The sharpness of the lemon balances the sweetness of the pear and the saltiness of the cheese. Dress the rocket lightly, since it wilts under a heavy hand.
Arrange the rocket on plates, lay the pear slices on top, scatter with the parmesan and walnuts and drizzle the rest of the dressing. Serve at once, with a little black pepper.
Serving Ideas
Grilled chicken · Crusty bread · Dry white wine · Roast pork
Nutrition per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
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