Arugula Salad With Manchego, Apples, And Caramelized Walnut

By á-174942

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup walnut oil
• 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
• 8 cups arugula
• 2 Red Delicious or Fuji apples unpeeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 6 ounces Spanish Manchego cheese shaved (or sharp white cheddar cheese)
• 1 1/2 cups pitted dates sliced
• 1 cup Caramelized Walnuts (see recipe)
• 4 large shallots minced

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Boil balsamic vinegar in small saucepan over medium-high heat until syrupy and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 4 minutes.

Whisk oil and Champagne vinegar in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Keep at room temperature. Rewarm balsamic syrup before using. Rewhisk vinaigrette before using.)

Toss arugula, apples, half of cheese, dates, walnuts, and shallots in large bowl with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season salad with salt and pepper.

Mound salad in center of each plate. Drizzle balsamic syrup around salads. Sprinkle remaining cheese atop salads.

This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.

For a "compressed" presentation, the chef uses a three-inch ring mold to mound the salad in the center of each plate. You can use a cleaned-out can, with top and bottom removed, as a mold.