Passport & Plate - Roquefort salad with warm lardons and croutons
Australia | Monday, March 10, 2014 | 5 photos
Ingredients
• Olive oil
• 250gm piece of smoked bacon (Speck) rind removed
• 2 thick slices sourdough bread cut into 1cm cubes
• 4 large handfuls of mache, watercress or rocket washed and spun dry. Mixed mesclun (or baby salad leaves) works just as well.
• 2 large handfuls of radicchio washed and spun dry
• A large handful of shelled walnut halves, sliced
• Bunch of fresh chives finely chopped
• 100g Roquefort cheese
For the dressing
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to prepare this recipe1. Cut the lardons (bacon) and bread into 1cm thick pieces
2. Put a large frypan on a high heat and when hot add a few good lugs of olive oil and then fry the lardons until they have a bit of colour and a lot of the fat has rendered out. Turn the heat down a little and add the bread to the pan, spreading it out so they take on some colour too. Fry until they’ve sucked up the flavour and are crisp and golden.
3. Put all the dressing ingredients in a clean jam jar and shake. Check the balance is right by tasting- it needs to be slightly too acidic as to cut through the saltiness of the bacon.
4. Put all your salad leaves on a big platter, sprinkle most of the walnuts and chives, pour over dressing and then scatter all the croutons and lardons. Mix it all up with clean hands so it is coated with dressing.
5. Use the tip of a knife to crumble little nuggets of Roquefort cheese letting them fall over the salad. Finish by scattering over the rest of the chives and walnuts.
6. Serve from the platter at the table- cest magnifique et Miam!!
NB: The images for this recipe include shots of the finished recipe as well as shots of Cahors France where my ingredients come from and the story for the recipe takes place. They were all taken by me.
The story behind this recipeCahors France is renowned for its markets, scenery, history, food and wine, even boasting a small vineyard near the Pont Valentre! The markets are traditional and authentic, full of amazing local produce. A great way to know a place is sourcing products from the locals and cooking with them. The Southwest is famous for Roquefort cheese, walnuts, and stunning produce, so this salad has some of the best this region has to offer. I made this recipe in Australia, but never had I been so excited to get the Roquefort cheese from a fromager in a market in France, have the nut vendor scoop me some beautiful walnuts, taste samples from a charcuterie stand before buying speck for the lardons, and my mache, chives and sourdough bread from their producers.
I wanted to treat the owners of our cottage to a French recipe based on produce from their region. It is hard to surpass sourcing the goods, cooking, and then sharing with friends. Hearing them praise my food was a very proud moment! Later that trip we were driving eight hours to Paris for our final week in France. I was to meet up with friends and Knowing we would be tired decided to eat in our apartment if our friends could get the ingredients for me. Our trip had some problems and ‘frazzled’ was an understatement when we turned the key to our apartment door, but when our friends arrived with wine, quiche from the boulangerie and ingredients for my salad, I was so relieved. I whipped up the salad and we were eating and enjoying in no time. Sitting late into the night getting to know each other better over wine and Roquefort salad, is a memory I hold very dear. Now, whenever I make this salad for my family, the smell of the smoky lardons, the pungent Roquefort, the crunch and earthiness of walnuts, bitter radiccio, oniony chives and fresh mache transports us. The memories of the places we visited in the South West of France and the people we have shared it with flood back, some of the fondest memories of our travels.
