Gourmet cheese salad (salade gourmande au fromage)

This superb gourmet salad is made using two of my favourite French cow’s milk cheeses: morbier and comté. To complement the flavour of these local cheeses, I add beetroot, walnuts, witlof and apple.

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 4 small beetroot, cooked, finely sliced
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 60 ml (¼ cup) walnut oil
• 1 small witlof
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 2 tbsp walnut pieces
• 80 g comté cheese, approximately, cut into 12 thin slices or 1 big wedge, if preferred
• 80 g morbier cheese, approximately, cut into 12 thin slices or 1 big wedge, if preferred
• 6 hard-boiled quail eggs, peeled and halved (optional)
• 2 tbsp finely cut chives
• 12 small edible flowers

Instructions

Divide the beetroot among four serving plates.

In a bowl, combine the mustard and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the walnut oil.

Cut the witlof and apple into small sticks and place in a bowl. Add half of the dressing and the walnut pieces. Spoon a little of the dressed salad onto each prepared plate.

Arrange the cheese around the salad. Garnish each plate with three quail egg halves. Spoon a little extra dressing over the cheese.

Scatter with chives and decorate with edible flowers. Serve.

Photography by Benito Martin. Styling by Sarah O’Brien. Food preparation by Alice Storey.

Props by Hayden Youlley Design.

In-video photography by Peter Warren.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.