Salad starter - Peach and Parma ham

Somewhere on this blog about a month ago I think I vowed to try and start making some healthier recipes. I thought I’d have a go at a couple of salads again from Heston’s cookbook. The first I did as a starter - peach, parma ham, Gruyere and rocket.

Heston’s recipe is much more detailed giving exact weights for ingredients but I just sort of guessed everything. I also cheated by using balsamic glaze. If you don’t have any you can boil some balsamic vinegar for about 10 minutes until it has reduced to a syrupy consistency.

INGREDIENTS (Feeds 2)

  • 2 tsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard (or one of each)
  • 5 cloves, ground
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 60ml groundnut oil
  • Balsamic glaze
  • A ripe peach
  • pack of rocket
  • Gruyere cheese

METHOD

First stick about 3 sheets of parma ham in the freezer (this is so you can chop them up more easily)

Then make the mustard vinaigrette. Mix the mustard and vinegar in a bowl with a whisk and then slowly add the oil, whisking all the time. Season and add the ground cloves.

Cut the peach in half, remove the stone and slice into thin wedges. Make some Gruyere shavings with a vegetable peeler and cut the parma ham into squares.

Toss a couple of handfuls of the rocket in the vinaigrette (you may not need it all), season, add the peaches, parma ham and Gruyere shavings. Pile on the plates and then drizzle with the balsamic glaze.

RESULT

It tasted delicious! The combinations of flavours all worked really well together. I would definitely make a larger version and have it as a main.