15 July 2013

Ottolenghi’s Romaine, Pineapple & Gorgonzola Salad - IHCC



This week things are getting a little fruity over at our Ottolenghi IHCC. Surfing through the web I came across this little number a romaine, pineapple & Gorgonzola salad.  I think only Ottolenghi would think of pairing pineapple with Gorgonzola.  I like pineapple & I love Gorgonzola so I was too intrigued not to try.  As it happens, it would also be the perfect companion for the ham at our street’s annual mid winter Christmas progressive dinner.  

Pineapple...wonderfully sweet hinting at pina coladas & rum punch which makes it the perfect foil for all those delicious summer cocktails & can transport  you beachside, under some palm trees, watching the sun set which which works for me, for now, until I get to head to some real Summer sun. 5 weeks to go & the countdown to Vanuatu has begun!!


There are quite a few ingredients to this salad, but once the pineapple is roasted & dressing whisked up all you have to do is pile everything on a platter & drizzle over the dressing.

Ottolenghi’s Romaine, Pineapple & Gorgonzola Salad

Serves 8 or double up to feed a crowd.

For the salad
1 large pineapple, peeled, cored & sliced into 3mm-thick rounds
1 tsp caster sugar
400g romaine lettuce leaves, torn into 5cm pieces
100g watercress
100g walnuts, broken
200g celery sticks, sliced diagonally into 2mm pieces, plus any leaves
1 granny smith apple, quartered, cored & cut into 2mm slices 


For the Gorgonzola dressing
80g Gorgonzola dolce
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
200ml Greek yoghurt
40ml buttermilk
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp chopped thyme leaves
1 garlic clove, crushed
Salt and black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil


Directions

Pre heat the oven to 150C/300F. 

Lay the pineapple slices on a parchment-lined baking tray, sprinkle over the sugar and roast for an hour.  Remove, set aside until cool, then tear each slice into quarters.  Don’t worry if some are browner or crisper than others, that will just add flavour & texture to the salad.


For the dressing, put the cheese & vinegar in a bowl & whisk until smooth. Add the yoghurt, buttermilk, lemon juice, thyme, garlic, a third of a teaspoon of salt & a little black pepper. Whisk again & set aside until just before serving the salad.

Pile the pineapple, romaine, watercress, walnuts, celery & apple on a serving platter, drizzle the olive oil over the salad & toss gently. Spoon the dressing over the salad, without stirring, & serve. 



The perfect companion for ham.  The pineapple sweet & a little caramelised & that blue cheese dressing...wow!  It is the best blue cheese dressing I have come across, just perfectly balanced.  The sharpness of the blue alongside the sweet pineapple, a little crunch from the walnuts, bright fresh apple, pepper watercress & fresh romaine all add up to a quite spectacular salad.


If you like this you might like these...

And for more Ottolenghi fruitiness check out IHCC over here.

Enjoy!

14 comments:

  1. Oh my...definitely a very interesting list of ingredients for a salad! I think the roasted pineapple looks absolutely beautiful. Like you, I think this would pair perfectly with ham. Very fun and unique!

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    1. Hi Kim, I know such interesting ingredients I just couldn't go past it! And I love the pineapple like. I can also attest it went down a treat with the ham at our mid winter Christmas dinner :)

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  2. How did I miss seeing this one?! The combination of ingredients sounds amazing and I love, love, love roasted or grilled pineapple. I want this! ;-)

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    1. Thanks Deb, yes this one would appear to be a hidden little gem. I wasn't in the mood for dessert & searching on line I came across this little beauty. I just couldn't go past the roast pineapple...& then there was the blue cheese dressing. If you are a lover of blue cheese that one is most definitely a keeper!

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  3. Very appealing combination of ingredients. And your plate looks beautiful as always.

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    1. Thank you Zosia, the sweetness of the pineapple & the tang of the dressing is quite delicious.

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  4. This salad looks so good! I have my eye on this salad and was one of the "finalist" in my selection for the fruits theme! Will definitely try this one out one of these days!

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    1. Thanks & yes you should! This will definitely be making some encore appearances, so good to find a different & surprising salad.

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  5. Wow, what an amazing combination. Who would ever have thought of roasted pineapple and blue cheese? I totally have to try this. Also a great salad for this time of year in our part of the world and a lot of the more "predictable" salad ingredients aren't available.

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    1. Thanks Sue, exactly who would have thought? But as soon as I saw it, it was one of those I must make now. And yes perfect for any season :)

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  6. Pineapple and gorgonzola? I love it!! What a marvelous flavor combination and such a pretty salad. :)

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    1. Thanks Hannah, I know right? I wonder if he'll ever stop coming up with new & amazing flavour combinations???
      Hope you are having a lovely weekend!

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