Pear and rocket salad

Serves six Ingredients:

n 225g packed chestnuts

n 60g hazelnuts

n 400g rocket

n 1 tbsp butter

n 450g small pears of your choice; peeled and cut into 1-cm thick wedges.

n 1 tbsp granulated sugar

n 120g pancetta, diced into half inch pieces

n 1/3 cup sherry wine vinegar

n ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

n salt and pepper to taste

Method:

n Shop-bought ready chestnuts are easily available and take the work out of preparing them to be used in any recipes. You just need to roughly chop them up and leave to the side. n Preheat the oven to180°C and place the hazelnuts onto a baking tray and leave to toast in the oven for about 10 minutes. Take them out and place onto a clean towel and rub them to remove the skin from the hazelnuts. Roughly chop them and leave aside. n To prepare the pears, melt the butter in a heavy-based pan and add the prepared pears along with the granulated sugar and cook on a medium heat for six to eight minutes or until the pears have been caramelised.

n Place the caramelised pears onto a plate.

n In the same frying pan, add the diced pancetta and cook until golden and crispy. Take out onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to help drain the fat.

n In the same pan with the fat from the pancetta, carefully add the sherry wine vinegar and heat, stirring as you go along until it has reduced to about half. Add the extra virgin olive oil and whisk to emulsify, and then add the chestnuts and toss until coated with the dressing.

n Season to taste and let the mixture cook for about four or five minutes.

n Meanwhile place the rocket, pears, hazelnuts and pancetta into a large serving bowl. Pour the dressing with the chestnuts over the top and toss to combine.