Rocket, pear and parmesan Salad

The most requested of my salads. Hate making it. Love eating it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 packet (approx. 120 g) rocket leaves or rocket salad mix
1 large, ripe pear
good handful of walnuts
1/3 cup freshly shaved Parmesan
2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley

Dressing
1/2 cup walnut or macadamia oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
juice of half an orange
3 teaspoons brown sugar
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Serves 6-8

METHOD:

Step 1: Wash and thoroughly dry the rocket, then place in a large salad bowl.

Step 2: Wash and slice the pear length ways, as thinly as possible. I like to halve some slices length ways again. Arrange these around the edge of the salad and place some within the rocket. Add the walnuts and Parmesan cheese, scattering these around the salad. Please, please don’t use already shaved Parmesan – it won’t taste nearly as good. To achieve thin shavings, a peeler is a good way to go. Scatter half of the fresh parsley over the salad. I like to season it a little too.

Step 3: To make the dressing, combine all ingredients plus the remaining parsley, and whisk together or shake well in a jar. As a general rule, I use 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. The orange juice adds a refreshingly sweet flavour, but the dressing will still taste good without it if you don’t have an orange on hand. The nutty oil is really the key. If omitting the juice, increase the amount of oil and vinegar with the oil/vinegar ratio in mind. I often make the dressing a few hours ahead of serving, allowing for a wonderful parsley flavour infusion. Add the dressing to the salad just before serving.