Serves 4

For the slaw

½ red cabbage finely sliced

½ apple, cored, sliced and tossed in ½ juice of one lemon

25g / 1oz curly kale, picked over and torn into small pieces

1 carrot, peeled and grated

50g / 2oz dried cranberries or raisins

 

For the candied pecans

25g / 1oz unsalted butter

25g / 1oz light brown muscovado sugar

50g / 2oz pecans, halved

 

Balsamic dressing

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

60ml /4fl oz extra virgin olive oil

60ml/4floz sunflower oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp caster sugar

1 tsp salt

Good grinding of black pepper

 

To serve

100g /3 ½ oz crumbled cheese – I used Shropshire Blue, but feta would be good as well

 

Method

To make the candied nuts put the butter and sugar in a frying pan and heat to melt. Add the nuts and gently fry until caramelised. Remove to a plate lined with baking parchment and leave to cool, then blot any excess butter with kitchen paper.

To make the dressing simply place all the ingredients in a screw topped jar and shake to emulsify.

To make the slaw simply mix all the ingredients to gather, adding any excess lemon juice to the dressing. Stir through a little of the dressing then pile onto the 4 starter plates. Sprinkle over the candied pecans and crumbled over the cheese. Drizzle more dressing on and around the plate and serve. Warm crusty bread would go well.

 

To get ahead: The dressing and the candied nuts can be made up to 2 days ahead. The coleslaw without the dressing can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge.