4 Seckel pears
1 teaspoon of salt
Black pepper
2 cups of baby arugula
2 cups of watercress
½ bulb of fennel, very thinly sliced
8 teaspoons of blue cheese
Maldon salt or sea salt for sprinkling
For the dressing:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 ½ teaspoons sherry vinegar
¾ teaspoon salt
Slice pears in half lengthwise, leaving the stem attached. (I think the stem is charming!) Using a melon baller, take out the seed/core area neatly, keeping the half pear shape intact. Place them on a baking sheet cut side up, and sprinkle each half with ⅛ teaspoon of salt. Grind on some black pepper and bake in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. While the pears bake, mix the arugula and watercress together, along with the shaved fennel. After 10 minutes, remove the pears and spoon a teaspoon of blue cheese into the holes the melon baller created. Put the pears back into the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese melts. While the cheese melts, whisk together the olive oil, sherry vinegar and salt, and toss the greens with the dressing. Serve the roasted pears atop a small bed of the dressed greens. Finish with a light sprinkle of Maldon salt. Serves 4.
