JAMIE OLIVER'S TARRAGON & GRAPE SALAD

JAMIE OLIVER'S TARRAGON & GRAPE SALAD image

Yield 4 people

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 banana shallots, or 6 normal-sized ones, peeled and very finely sliced
a good vinegar (champagne, white wine or sherry vinegar)
4 large handfuls of fresh tarragon, leaves picked
1 small bunch of seedless red grapes, halved
1 small bunch of seedless green grapes, halved
6 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
200g/7oz good goat's cheese or hard salted ricotta

Steps:

The first job is to put the finely sliced shallots and vinegar together in a dish, making sure that the shallots are all covered by the vinegar. If the shallot slices are nice and thin they will need only about 10-15 minutes in the vinegar for the desired effect. They will be just like crunchy pickled onions when they're done. Keep all the ingredients in the fridge until your guests are around the table. Crack open a bottle of crisp white wine for them, then get started. Throw the tarragon leaves into a bowl, add the grapes, the shallots with only 5 tablespoons of their vinegar, and the olive oil. Toss this all together, taste it and add a little seasoning if it's needed. Go easy on the salt though, as the cheese will be quite salty. Use some tongs to pick up the salad and divide it between 4 plates. Grate or crumble the goat's cheese on top of each salad and drizzle over any leftover dressing.