Serves 4

A sweet and savoury salad – the quince flavours and the creamy blueness of the gorgonzola combine beautifully.

250g caster sugar
500ml water
Pared zest of 1 lemon
2 quinces
2 heads of chicory
150g gorgonzola dolce, roquefort or fourme d’ambert
50g toasted walnut halves
Handful of parsley leaves

For the dressing
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp Dijon mustard
5 tbsp walnut oil
2 tbsp olive
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Begin by making a sugar syrup for poaching the quince. Dissolve the sugar in the water in a saucepan over a low heat. When dissolved, add the lemon zest and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, peel, core and quarter the quince. Cut into 2cm-thick wedges, then lower into the hot sugar syrup. Return the mixture to the boil and simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until the quince is soft. Remove the quince with a slotted spoon and leave to cool.

3 When you are ready to serve, whisk the ingredients for the dressing together and season with salt and pepper. Trim the base of the chicory and separate into leaves. Plunge into iced cold water for 5 minutes to make the leaves nice and crunchy. Drain well and pat dry with kitchen paper.

4 Toss the chicory leaves in the dressing (reserve a little for serving), then arrange on a platter with the poached quince. Chop the gorgonzola into pieces and then scatter around with the walnuts and parsley. Drizzle with a little more dressing; serve without delay with fresh bread.

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