Frisée Pear Blue Cheese Prosciutto (Printable View)

Elegant salad with frisée, pears, blue cheese, crispy prosciutto, tangy vinaigrette.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Salad Base

01 - 1 large head frisée lettuce, washed and torn
02 - 2 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
03 - 3.5 oz blue cheese, crumbled
04 - 6 slices prosciutto
05 - 1 oz toasted walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

→ Vinaigrette

06 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
08 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
09 - 1 teaspoon honey
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange prosciutto slices in a single layer on the prepared sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp. Remove from oven and let cool, then break into large shards.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until well combined.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine torn frisée lettuce, sliced pears, crumbled blue cheese, and toasted walnuts.
04 - Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and toss gently to coat evenly. Top with crispy prosciutto shards immediately before serving.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • It comes together in under half an hour, but tastes like you've been planning it all week.
  • The contrast of textures—crispy, creamy, juicy, bitter—keeps your palate interested with every bite.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and elegant enough for guests, casual enough for Tuesday lunch.
02 -
  • Never dress the salad more than a few minutes before serving—frisée is sturdy, but even it will eventually surrender to the vinegar and go limp.
  • The pears will brown slightly if sliced too far in advance; toss them with a squeeze of lemon juice if you're prepping ahead, or slice them last.
03 -
  • Toast your own nuts if they're not already done—it takes five minutes in a dry pan and changes everything about the final dish.
  • Keep the prosciutto separate until the very last moment; crispy prosciutto absorbs moisture from the vinaigrette and turns flabby within minutes, so resistance until service is key.
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