Recipes

Blue Cheese, Grape, and Gem Lettuce Salad

December 7, 2015

Paul Cunningham of Henne Kirkeby Kro likes to use whatever lettuces are in season for this salad, preferably some that are tender and buttery like gem lettuce or Bibb to offset the crunchy celery and acidic grapes. If you can find a good Danish blue cheese, like Kornblomst, use it here; otherwise, any good, creamy blue cheese will work well.

Featured in: An All-Night Danish Christmas Feast

Sweetly acidic green grapes off-set the funk of creamy Danish blue cheese in this seasonal salad tossed together with a creamy cider vinegar–walnut dressing.

Yield: serves 8

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

¹⁄₃ cup apple cider vinegar
¹⁄₃ cup olive oil
¹⁄₃ cup walnut oil
2 tbsp. crème fraîche
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup walnuts
1 lb. baby gem lettuces or Bibb lettuce, torn into large peices
1 head celery, inner stems and leaves only, stems thinly sliced and leaves left whole
1 ¹⁄₂ cups halved green grapes
Flaky sea salt
3 oz. Danish Kornblomst or Stilton blue cheese

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk the apple cider vinegar with the olive and walnut oils, crème fraîche, and Dijon until smooth and season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
In a small skillet, heat the walnuts, tossing occasionally, until toasted, about 6 minutes. Arrange the lettuce on a large serving platter, followed by the celery stems and leaves, warm walnuts, and the grapes. Drizzle the salad with the vinaigrette, season lightly with sea salt and pepper, and top with the blue cheese before serving.