- 4
- 60 mins
- 60 mins
Ingredients
- 6 ounces good quality blue cheese
- 3/4 cup hazelnuts
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 3 Tbsp maple Syrup
- Pinch of cayenne
- Salt
- 2-3 bunches of celery, tops removed
- 12-15 pitted dates (can sub with a handful of dried cranberries or cherries)
- 1/4 cup olive oil (or hazelnut oil if you happen to have it)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice (if using Meyer lemons, use 2 Tbsp)
- Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Step 1
. Blue cheese and celery is a classic combination and is especially good with the additions of dates (or dried cranberries) for sweetness and maple-glazed toasted hazelnuts. Yes, it's a little fussy, but it's the holidays! And so worth it. The recipe comes via my friend Peg's glamorous friend Katie Sullivan (thank you Katie!).
To save time, start by roasting the hazelnuts. While they roast, you can prep all the other ingredients. Celery bunches come in different sizes, so the amounts here are a little inexact. Just make sure you have enough blue cheese so that you get a little with every bite of the celery.
Place hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet in a 300°F oven for 30 minutes.
Melt butter in a small skillet. Add a pinch of cayenne and salt. Add the roasted hazelnuts to the pan and toast them on medium low heat for a few minutes, continuously stirring. When the hazelnuts are hot, turn off the heat and add maple syrup to the pan. Stir to coat the hazelnuts in the maple syrup. Let glazed nuts sit in the pan to cool. Later you will scrape them loose with a wooden spoon and serve atop the salad.
Prepare the salad dressing. In a small jar, mix together the olive oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Shake to combine.
To assemble, layer a shallow platter or dish first with the sliced celery, then dates, then crumble the blue cheese over it and sprinkle with glazed hazelnuts. Right before serving, pour dressing over top.
This is so different and I love the mixture of the crunchy celery with the creamy blue cheese. The maple syrup sounds great, too. I would probably go the cranberry route for a pretty touch!
It's very difficult to get maple syrup here in Argentina...any suggestions for replacement? maybe caramelizing the hazelnuts with some demerara sugar?
Made this for Christmas Eve dinner - it was a huge hit! Followed recipe as written and wouldn't make any changes for the next time. This is a keeper!
This is amazing! My SIL was licking the plate clean. The flavors are spot on and it's very easy to make. Thank you!
Sorry, you'll need enable javascript to make a comment on this website.
Email Address: (your email address will not be displayed)
Do you have a website? You can place a link to this page by copying and pasting the code below.
Add to Google Toolbar