How to make roasted red grape, walnut, goat’s cheese and radicchio salad

Now is all about slow and low cooked food. But need something to go with your spiced lamb shoulder? This is it, says Julia Platt Leonard

Radicchio’s bitterness pairs well with rich meat dishes (Photography by Julia Platt Leonard)

Colder weather and longer nights are the perfect recipe for something slow-cooked like a shoulder of lamb or pork, rubbed in spices and cooked until the meat falls off the bone.

Serve a slow-cooked main with something quick and bitter, to cut through the richness.

A radicchio salad is a perfect accompaniment.

You can use bog-standard chioggia radicchio – the magenta-coloured, tight, round balls you commonly see in supermarkets – or search out long leaf treviso, which is slightly sweeter, or tardivo with its glamorous, curly tendrils.

Red Belgian endive – small-leafed and compact – is a good option too or better yet, use a combination.

Grapes roasted in walnut oil and sherry vinegar make a lovely hot dressing with a hint of sweetness, while goat’s cheese rolled in walnuts adds creaminess and crunch.

Roasted red grape, walnut, goat’s cheese and radicchio salad

​Serves 4

350g red grapes
400-450g radicchio 
125g soft goat’s cheese
40g walnuts, chopped
2tbsp walnut oil
1tbsp sherry vinegar
Salt

Preheat oven to 220C.

Take the grapes off the stem and place them in a small roasting pan with the walnut oil, vinegar and a generous sprinkle of salt.

Place in the oven and roast for around 15-20 minutes, until the grapes are soft and just starting to collapse.

While the grapes are roasting, shape the goat’s cheese into 15 or 16 balls. Roll the balls in the walnuts to coat on all sides. Save any leftover chopped walnuts to use as a garnish.

Place the radicchio leaves on a platter, top with the goat’s cheese and walnut balls. Dot with the roasted grapes and pour the hot cooking liquid over the salad. Garnish with any remaining walnuts and serve warm.

@juliapleonard