Apple & Cider Salad with Camembert Dressing

Serves 4 to 6 as a starter or 2 as a main meal

This is a crunchy, tasty, warm salad, with sweet and sour flavours, and the warm cheesey creaminess of the Camembert – the winter equivalent to a Caesar salad. There should be a mixture of leaves, some with crunch, others that will wilt slightly when coated with cheese. Make sure that the Camembert is as ripe as possible – i.e. it smells quite potent. A dry white wine can be substituted for the cider

half an iceberg lettuce

20g rocket

1 medium Cox’s apple

180g really ripe Camembert

2 rounded tbsp full fat crème fraiche

1 to 2 tbsp dry cider – depending on the ripeness of cheese

50g bread (ideally sourdough) cut into 1cm dice

olive oil

• First of all fry the bread croutons in olive oil until golden. Keep warm
• Core and dice the apple (leave the skin on) and sprinkle on a little cider to stop it browning
• Put the salad leaves in a bowl
• Chop the cheese up roughly, and put into a medium sized sauce pan. Add the crème fraiche. Heat gently, stirring continuously until the cheese has melted. Whisk in a tablespoon of the cider. Check for consistency, the mixture should be pourable but not too runny. Add more cider if necessary
• Add apple cubes to the lettuce leaves. Drizzle on the cheese and cider dressing, and toss well. Sprinkle over croutons and serve immediately