Admittedly, this salad may be trying a little too hard (or perhaps I’ve been watching too much Top Chef). In any case, if you’re looking for a sophisticated, unique way to start off a dinner party, this is just the trick. The key to this dish is balance. Endive is naturally very bitter, but is offset by drizzling honey over the whole plate. The figs and pistachios add texture, and the fried prosciutto… well, who doesn’t love crispy pork?
Makes: 4 fancy “salads”
Total kitchen time: 30 minutes
Shopping list:
- 6 heads of endive (green, red or both)
- 1/4 cup olive oil (an infused oil, such as roasted garlic olive oil, works great here)
- 2 slices prosciutto
- 1 cup dried figs, sliced as thinly as possible
- 1/2 cup pistachio nuts, shells removed
- 1/4 cup organic honey
- Preheat your oven (*ding, this is a great toaster oven candidate) to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Wash the endive and remove any unsightly outer leaves. Slice each endive head in half from the stem to the tip. Arrange the endive cut side up on the foil-lined baking sheet. Coat the endive generously with olive oil. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, or until the outer edges are golden brown.
- Meanwhile, fry the prosciutto in a skillet until crispy. Drain onto paper towels, then crumble the prosciutto and set it aside.
- When the endive is done roasting, arrange three pieces on a plate alongside a handful of sliced dried figs and pistachio nuts. Drizzle a spoonful of honey over the plate, then sprinkle the endive with about 1/4th of the crumbled prosciutto.
If sliced figs and pistachios don’t suit your dinner crowd, you can always drown the plate in blue cheese ;-)