Warm Fig, Blue Cheese and Hazelnut Salad - a delicious starter for entertaining

Warm Fig, Blue Cheese and Hazelnut Salad with a dressing made from my homemade blackcurrant jam

I must confess I've made this twice now. The first time was part of a very rushed dinner party and I completely forgot to take photos of this wonderful starter which I think does sum up a lot of what my blog is all about: the fact that I'm cooking within my everyday life for various friends and family means that I don't always have the time to 'stage' my pictures and they do sometimes look a bit rushed and hastily snapped! That said, I just had to make this again and it was as the starter for a dinner party which was a lot more organised and stress free this time.

I cannot sing the praises highly enough for the wonderful book that this recipe comes from. It really does appeal to me. Bonne Maman: The Seasonal Cookbook (2011) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bonne-Maman-Seasonal-Cookbook/dp/085720209X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378034144&sr=1-1&keywords=bonne+maman  is, as its name suggests, a book full of recipes using the conserves and compotes of the well-known French brand. Although this book hasn't been in my possession very long I have already tried out a number of recipes and have not been disappointed. For example, the Avocado, Prawn and Cabbage Salad on page 74 is perfect for a summer buffet party (it uses apricot conserve). The Raspberry Frangipane Tarts on page 130 are gorgeous individual tarts that are lovely served with homemade ice cream ( I served mine with some lemon verbena ice cream) and of course as they are virtually Bakewell tarts they use raspberry conserve. The Strawberry Souffles on page 50 are another delight: really easy and using only four ingredients; when I made them I used raspberry conserve and am thinking about using my own blackcurrant jam next time.

Other recipes I've got my eye on are the Confit of Duck Salad with Asparagus on page 24 (using strawberry conserve), Roasted Potato Salad with Apricot Chilli Mayonnaise on page 121 and the Chocolate Cherry Drizzle Cake on page 162 (using cherry compote)...I could go on! The book is divided into four main sections: spring, summer, autumn and winter and each section has a selection of sweet and savoury recipes. I quite like this format as it's nice to browse through and stumble upon something different on every page whether it's the Black Bean Chilli Pot (page 156) or the delectable looking Strawberry and Passion Fruit Brulees on page 158. Another reason I like this book is probably down to the fact that you can do so much more with a jar of jam than just spread it on your bread or croissant, it seems the sweet addition of a jam/conserve to a savoury dish can often give it that extra special touch...


Warm Fig, Blue Cheese and Hazelnut Salad (copyright Simon & Schuster 2011)

Serves 6
6 fresh figs
250g blue cheese, I used Roquefort although Saint Agur or Gorgonzola is fine
125g soft salad leaves
25g toasted hazelnuts, skinned and chopped
Walnut bread ( I made my own from the following book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Bread-at-Home/dp/1405416599/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378055044&sr=1-3&keywords=making+bread+at+home )

For the dressing
2 tbsp blackcurrant jam (I used my own homemade recipe, see previous blog entry, but of course the book recommends Bonne Maman!)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp hazelnut oil
1 tbsp sherry or white wine vinegar 

The dressing all made up

Halved fresh figs

Plating up the salad

1. Put all the dressing ingredients in a jar, give them a good shake and place in the fridge until you need them. (This can be done up to 3 days ahead and it's a lovely dressing to serve with smoked duck slices...)
2. Halve the figs from tip to base and crumble the cheese in a separate bowl, put to one side.
3. Place salad leaves on 6 small plates and add the cheese.
4. When ready to serve, brush the cut side of the figs with a little of the dressing and fry cut side down for a couple of minutes until beginning to turn golden.
5. Arrange 2 fig halves on each plate with the salad and cheese and drizzle over some more dressing adding the chopped hazelnuts. Serve immediately with slices of the walnut bread.

My willing guests!

Next time: coming soon a pre-desert recipe courtesy of local chef Richard Hughes.