Goat’s Cheese and Spiced Pear Salad

I tasted this in a restaurant one night and thought 'I have to make this'. It was first time I'd tasted goat's cheese ... yum!! The dressing is as close as I could get after a few attempts to imitate it. I have put in the recipe to use spices of your choice – I use whatever jumps out at me when I open the cupboard. You can simply use allspice!

Ingredients

2 x 410g tins of quartered pears

Sprinkle of allspice or spices of your choice

A small handful of pine nuts

300g hard goat’s cheese

4 handfuls of fresh rocket

Sticky Red Wine Reduction Dressing

A small handful of sun-dried tomatoes rehydrated in boiling water (according to packet instructions)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

• Open and drain the pears, cut the quarters in half again and sprinkle well with spices. Place on an oiled baking tray and bung into the oven. They will take 30 minutes or so to soften up and colour slightly.

• Toast the pine nuts.

• Cut the goat’s cheese into thick slices, place on a sheet of foil on a baking tray and grill on a medium/high heat until bubbling and coloured slightly.

• To plate up, place a handful of rocket leaves dressed with Red Wine Reduction Dressing on the centre of the plate with slices of the goat’s cheese on top. Place the spiced pears around the edges along with the rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes. Sprinkle over the toasted pine nuts and spoon over some more dressing.