STILTON FRITTERS WITH CREAMY WALNUT DRESSING

Fritters

1¼ cups water

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

4 eggs

½ cup Stilton cheese, crumbled

½ cup grated Gruyère cheese

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cups vegetable oil, for frying

1 (6-ounce) bag mixed salad leaves

1 ripe pear, peeled and sliced

1 teaspoon celery seeds

Creamy Walnut Dressing

¼ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon walnuts, about 4 walnut halves

1 teaspoon walnut oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

1. For the fritters, put the water and butter in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. The butter should be completely melted before the water boils. Quickly add the sifted flour, and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Beat the eggs into the pan, one at a time, beating well after each addition until they are fully incorporated into the flour and butter mixture. While the dough is still warm, beat in the cheeses, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste.

2. Heat the oil to 325 degrees. Drop the batter by the teaspoon into the oil, and cook each fritter until golden and the cheese is still runny in the middle. Be careful not to crowd the pan by adding too many fritters at once. You will need to do several batches. Drain the cooked fritters on a cooling rack or on a plate lined with paper towels.

3. Arrange the salad leaves and pear slices onto six plates, and sprinkle with the celery seed.

4. For the Creamy Walnut Dressing, combine the olive oil, mustard, honey, walnuts, walnut oil, lemon juice, and vinegar in a blender, and taste, adjusting the seasoning if necessary. Drizzle the salad leaves and pear slices with the dressing. Perch 4 or 5 warm fritters on top of each plate and serve immediately.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS