Legend has it that Roquefort’s blue veins were discovered when a shepherd abandoned his cheese in a cave to chase after a passing woman. Weeks later, the cheese had ripened into something extraordinary. Ever since, authentic Roquefort must be aged in the same stone caves of Mont Combalou at Roquefort-sur-Soulzon. This salad is a celebration of Roquefort and several other excellent French ingredients, most of which are easy to find in the UK. Ask your butcher for smoked bacon so you can cut generous, hand-cut lardons. The sharp mustard dressing adds a final flourish, and this dish is my tribute to my dear French friends and to that lucky man from centuries ago who stumbled upon such a magnificent cheese—and hopefully enjoyed one of the best encounters of his life!
Info
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cooking: 6 minutes
- Total time: 26 minutes
- Yield: 4 as a main
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 250 g (8 oz/½ lb) piece of smoked bacon, best quality you can afford, rind removed
- 2 thick slices sourdough bread, cut into ½-inch/1 cm cubes
Dressing
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salad
- 4 large handfuls lamb’s lettuce (mâche), watercress, or rocket, washed and spun dry
- 2 large handfuls radicchio, washed and spun dry
- A large handful shelled walnut halves, sliced
- A bunch fresh chives, finely chopped
- 100 g (3½ oz) Roquefort cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Once hot, add a generous glug or two of olive oil.
- Cut the bacon into thick ½-inch/1 cm lardons and add to the pan. Fry, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, until the bacon is well coloured and much of the fat has rendered. Reduce the heat slightly, add the bread, and spread the croutons out so they colour evenly. Fry for another 3 minutes, until they have absorbed the flavours and are crisp and golden.
- For the dressing:
- Put the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and a good pinch of salt and pepper into a clean jam jar. Screw on the lid and shake, then taste and adjust the balance. Cook’s Note: It should be slightly too acidic at this point, as the bacon will add saltiness and French dressings tend to be quite sharp.
- For the salad:
- Once the dressing is ready, call everyone to the table so they can eat as soon as the salad is assembled. Put the lamb’s lettuce (mâche) on a large platter, tear in the radicchio, and pour over the thick dressing. Scatter over most of the walnuts and chives, and all the croutons and lardons. Quickly toss everything with clean hands so every leaf is coated.
- Use the tip of a knife to crumble small nuggets of Roquefort directly onto the salad. Finish by scattering the remaining walnuts and chives from a height, and serve immediately.
