A WARM SALAD WITH IRISH BLUE CHEESE

Preparation 15 minutes

Cooking 20 minutes

Serves 4 A few little cubes of ripe pear are, of course, delicious here, too.

a selection of organic salad leaves, such as watercress, radicchio, endive, rocket, oakleaf and butterhead 12 round croutons, 5mm thick, cut from a thin baguette 45g salted butter, softened 1 garlic clove, peeled 140g smoked streaky bacon, cut into 5mm lardons 50g Irish farmhouse blue cheese 1 heaped tbsp chervil sprigs or freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley FOR THE VINAIGRETTE DRESSING 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp sunflower oil 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 tsp each freshly chopped chervil and tarragon or 4 tsp freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan oven) gas mark 4. 2 Whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette dressing. Wash and dry the mixture of lettuce and salad leaves, and tear into bite-size pieces. 3 Spread both sides of the rounds of bread with softened butter. Put onto a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes until golden and crisp on both sides. Rub them with a clove of garlic and keep hot in a low oven with the door slightly open. 4 Blanch and refresh the bacon, then dry well on kitchen paper. Just before serving, sauté the bacon in a little extra-virgin olive oil until golden. 5 To serve, dress the lettuce with some vinaigrette in a salad bowl. Use just enough to make the leaves glisten. Crumble the cheese with a fork and add it to the salad, tossing well. Divide between four plates. 6 Scatter the hot crispy bacon over the top, put three warm croutons on each plate and sprinkle sprigs of chervil or chopped parsley over the salad. Serve immediately.