Blue Cheese, Pear, and Pecan Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
For the Pecans—
Toast:
1 cup pecan halves or pieces
Combine; Toss with Pecans and Roast:
2 T. sugar
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. dry mustard
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1/8 t. ground cloves
Pinch cayenne
For the Warm Bacon Dressing—
Saute:
6 slices (8 oz.) thick-sliced bacon, diced
Add and Saute:
1/4 cup shallots, minced (about 3 shallots)
Stir in:
1 T. honey mustard
1 t. ground cinnamon
Whisk in:
1/2 cup apple juice concentrate
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 T. apple cider vinegar
Wilted Lettuce
Salt and pepper to taste
For the Salad—
Toss Together:
12 cups mesclun salad greens
1 cup fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 firm yet ripe Bosc pear, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup Maytag, Roquefort, or other good-quality blue cheese, crumbled
Prepared pecans and dressing
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Toast pecans on a baking sheet in oven until golden, about 10 minutes.
Combine sugar, oil, salt, and spices in a small bowl while nuts toast. Toss hot pecans with sugar mixture until well coated. Return nuts to baking sheet and roast 8–10 more minutes, or until coating is dry. Do not overbake.
Saute bacon for the dressing in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Spoon off excess fat; leave bacon in skillet.
Add the shallots to the skillet; saute until softened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the mustard and cinnamon; cook another minute.
Whisk in the apple juice concentrate, oil, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Keep dressing warm over low heat until ready to toss the salad.
Toss the greens, fennel, pear, blue cheese, and spiced pecans with some of the warm dressing (you may not use all the dressing). Serve salad immediately.
Dressing may be made 2 days ahead and chilled. Gently rewarm before using. Don’t make it very far in advance as it is so good you won’t have any left when it comes time to make the salad.
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