In developing this recipe, I worked on three different versions of a classic blue cheese dressing. Creamy and delicious as they were, the mayo and other ingredients of the dressing seemed to overshadow the blue cheese. I wanted the cheese to be the star, so I reverted to a simple olive and vinegar dressing and sprinkled the cheese on top.
This salad loves a generous grinding of fresh black pepper, so if that's your style, season away.
Serves 4
340g radicchio
340g chicory
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
2 tablespoons good-quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
170g good-quality crumbly blue cheese, at room temperature
Cut the radicchio in half lengthways. Cut out and discard the core, then cut the head crossways into 3mm-thick ribbons. Cut the chicory crossways on a slight diagonal, through the core, into 3mm-thick slices.
In a large bowl, combine the radicchio, chicory and chives. Add the oil, vinegar, and ½ teaspoon of salt and ¾ teaspoon of pepper. Toss to combine, then taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
Mound the 'greens' onto 4 serving plates, then crumble the blue cheese over the greens and season with more black pepper to taste.
• This is an edited extract from The Perfectly Tossed Salad by Mindy Fox with photography by Ellen Silverman (Kyle Books, £15.99). Order a copy for £12.79 from the Guardian Bookshop
