This stunning goat's curd salad recipe has a stunning blend of flavours, with creamy goat's curd and fresh soft fruits contrasting beautifully with the crunchy pickled walnuts and smoked ham.
To begin, pickle the walnuts. Place the walnuts in a saucepan with just enough milk to cover and bring to the boil. Allow to cool so that you can peel the walnuts with the tip of a small knife. Wash the walnuts well then place in a separate saucepan with the caster sugar and vinegar
Bring to the boil and boil for 4 minutes. Remove the walnuts with a slotted spoon (reserving the pickling liquor) and place on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 4 minutes
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Return the walnuts to the pickling liquor and repeat the boiling and baking process 3 times, until the nuts are both pickled and candied, as the sugar should start to caramelise during the boiling process. The nuts will give the dish texture and a sharpness to work well with the peaches, smoked ham and curd. Set the walnuts aside until ready to serve
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To make the raspberry gel, add the purée, vanilla seeds and half of the lemon juice to a pan and bring to the boil. Whisk in the agar agar and return to the boil
Pour the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate until set for approximately 2–3 hours. Once set, place in a blender and add the remaining lemon juice. Blitz until smooth and set aside. This recipe will make more than is needed for this dish alone, but it can be kept in the fridge and used for either sweet or savoury dishes
To prepare the raspberries, combine a little raspberry vinegar with 1 tbsp of the reserved gel in a small bowl and add the raspberries. Gently coat the raspberries in the mixture
To serve, toss the salad leaves with 4 tbsp of the walnut dressing in a bowl. Divide the peach slices between warm plates and arrange the raspberries, walnuts and goat's curd on top
