Recipes > Side Dishes

Arugula and Escarole Salad with Blue Cheese, Figs, and Warm Port Dressing

Serves 6

Tossing cool, crisp greens with a warm dressing or a single hot ingredient can create a great winter starter. Often, however, these salads can be bland or soggy or both. To avoid these problems, use greens that have hardy textures and assertive flavors.

The crisp texture of greens such as escarole, radicchio, arugula, and watercress can withstand a dousing with warm dressing or the addition of a hot ingredient without becoming so wilted they are no longer pleasurable, and their assertive flavors become pleasantly subdued, yet not overpowered.

1⁄3 cup port

1⁄2 teaspoon sugar

4 ounces dried figs (6 large or 12 small), stems removed

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 medium shallots or 1⁄4 small red onion, minced (about 3 tablespoons)

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 large bunches arugula, washed, dried, stems trimmed, and leaves torn into bite-size pieces

(about 3 cups, loosely packed)

1 medium head escarole, washed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces (about 6 cups, loosely packed)

1⁄4 pound blue cheese (preferably Roquefort or Stilton), crumbled

1. Bring port, sugar, and figs to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Cover pan, reduce heat to low, and simmer until figs are very soft but not mushy, about 15 minutes. Reserving liquid in pan, remove figs with slotted spoon and, when cool enough to handle, quarter and set them aside.

2. Whisk vinegar, shallots, salt, and pepper into port; gradually whisk in oil. Return figs to dressing and reheat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warm but not steaming.

3. Toss greens and warm dressing to coat in large mixing bowl. Divide dressed greens among 6 serving plates, sprinkle with a portion of blue cheese, and serve immediately.

Recipe source: America’s Test Kitchen. Valley Fig is a proud sponsor of the America’s Test Kitchen television series 2007 season.

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