Lettuce Salad with Roquefort and Walnuts

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Lettuce Salad with Roquefort and Walnuts

By Edward Behr

When I serve a lettuce salad, I almost always place it after the main course, if only because that’s what my parents did, and that spot makes particular sense for this salad because it doubles as a cheese course. The best butterhead lettuces, also called Boston (though that may strictly describe just the variety Tennis Ball), have a velvety tenderness that underlines the creaminess of the blue cheese, while the endive provides a contrasting, refreshing crunch. In place of Roquefort, which in shops is sometimes past peak, you can use another blue cheese, but choose a softer, sweeter kind and not a drier, nutty one.

3 ounces (85 gr) Roquefort cheese

½ to ¾ cup (120 to 180 ml) heavy cream

meats from 4 or 5 walnuts, very finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely cut fresh chives

black pepper

1 tablespoon white-wine or cider vinegar

salt

velvety butterhead lettuce

Belgian endive, in crosswise slices, or mâche

Mash the cheese roughly with a fork, and combine it with ½ cup (120 ml) of cream, the walnuts, chives, and freshly ground pepper. Just before serving, add the vinegar and thin as needed with additional cream. Taste and add salt, if needed. Toss the greens with the dressing — you may not need it all. Serves 4 to 6.

From The Art of Eating Cookbook

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