CLASSIC CHICORY AND ORANGE SALAD

CHICORY and orange is a classic combination for good reason — they are a marriage made in heaven. If serving with the duck pancakes do as below. If you add broken-up goat’s cheese you will have a delicious lunchtime main course.

SERVES 6 ● 2 tbsp hazelnuts ● 4 large heads chicory ● 2 large seedless oranges ● 1 small packet watercress ● 2-3 sprigs of mint, chopped ● 2 tbsp good olive oil ● 2 tbsp white wine vinegar ● Salt and freshly ground pepper PUT the hazelnuts in a hot oven for a few minutes until just beginning to brown (watch out — they burn easily). Rub them in a tea towel to remove the papery brown skin. Return to the oven to toast them, or brown them in a dry frying pan. Allow to cool, then chop roughly. Slice the chicory through on the diagonal. Separate the leaves and put into a salad bowl. Cut the skin and pith off the oranges, then carefully cut into the orange on each side of each segment so you can extract the segments without any pith. (If this sounds too difficult, just slice the peeled oranges thinly Add the oranges to the salad bowl. Discard the thicker watercress stal and add the rest to the salad. Combine the oil, vinegar, a good sprinkling of salt and about six twists of the pepper mill to make the dressing. Just before serving ad the dressing to the salad and toss carefully (use your fingers, salad servers can break the chicory leaves). Sprinkle on the mint and toasted nuts.