LEAF SALAD WITH POACHED PEAR, ROQUEFORT, BABY NEW POTATOES AND PEAR VINAIGRETTE

"This salad is a classic. It is sophisticated and luscious. Roquefort is a fabulous French ewe’s milk cheese that is aged in caves. It is a strong blue cheese that is salty and creamy. Pear is the perfect accompaniment and the new potatoes bring a different texture to the salad. This salad is quite literally to die for."

Ingredients:
1 Bag of Mixed Salad Leaves
1 Pear
400ml Water
100g Sugar
1 Star Anise
4 Cloves
250g Roquefort
8 Baby New Potatoes

Vinaigrette:
1 Tablespoon of White Wine Vinegar
3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of Pear Juice
Salt and Pepper

1. Prepare the poaching liquid
Place the sugar, star anise and cloves in a saucepan, add water and bring to a simmer.

2. Poach the pear
Peel the pear, place it in the poaching liquid and cook for around 20-25 mins until a knife meets no resistance. Take the pear off the stove, out of the liquid and leave to cool.

3. Make the vinaigrette
Pour the vinegar into a screw-top jar with salt, pepper and pear juice (liquid that the pear was cooked in). Put the lid on and give it a good shake. Now add the oil and shake again. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

4. Cook the potatoes
Place the potatoes in a saucepan with water and a pinch of salt, and bring to the boil. Once boiling they will take between 15-20 mins. Just keep checking them. Once they are ready, run them under cold water to stop them from cooking. Drain.

5. Serve
Now assemble the salad. Place the salad leaves evenly around two plates. Thinly slice the pear and lay around. Cut the potatoes in half and dot around the plates as well. Now open the Roquefort and crumble all over the salad. Give the vinaigrette a shake and spoon over the leaves. Grind a little pepper over the salad and serve. Yummy.