Shelly's Recipe

SPINACH AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD WITH SLICED APPLES AND SPICED CARAMELIZED PECANS

Category: Salad

1 apple, chilled
1 small lemon, juiced
8 oz spinach, washed, thoroughly dried and stemmed
1 small head (about 3 oz) radicchio, cut into chiffonade
5 oz blue cheese, crumbled
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup Spago House Dressing (recipe follows)
1-1/2 cups Spiced Caramelized Pecans (recipe follows)

Cut the apple into quarters, remove the stem and the seeds and cut into very thin slices. Sprinkle lemon juice over the slices and set aside.

When ready to serve, in a salad bowl, combine the apple, spinach, radicchio and blue cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss with the dressing. Adjust seasoning, to taste.

To serve, divide the salad among 4 plates and sprinkle the pecans around each salad.

Spiced Caramelized Pecans
3 cups peanut oil
2 cups pecan halves
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

In a deep-fryer or a deep pot, heat the oil to 350 degrees. (A deep-frying thermometer can be clipped to the side of the pan so that you can tell when the proper temperature has been reached).

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the pecans and boil for 2 minutes. Drain in a large strainer, shaking off all excess water. Sprinkle the salt and cayenne pepper over the nuts and then coat with the confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, allowing the sugar to melt into the pecans. Toss the nuts by shaking the strainer, adding a little more sugar each time, until all the sugar is used and all the nuts are coated. Do not use hands or a spoon to toss. The nuts should have a glaze of sugar.

Carefully add the nuts to the heated oil, keeping the oil at 350 . Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon to a baking tray to cool.

Spago House Salad Dressing
2 large shallots, minced (1 heaping tbsp)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Zinfandel vinegar
2 tbsp sherry wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the shallots and the mustard. Whisk in the vinegars, and then the olive and vegetable oils. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until needed. Yield: 1 1/4 cups