SPINACH SALAD WITH BLUE CHEESE, SPICED WALNUTS, PEARS AND PORT VINAIGRETTE

SPINACH SALAD WITH BLUE CHEESE, SPICED WALNUTS, PEARS AND PORT VINAIGRETTE image

Categories Salad

Yield 4-8

Number Of Ingredients 14

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1 750 ml bottle ruby Port
½ cup sugar
5 whole cloves
3 whole allspice
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
2 firm but ripe Anjou pears, peeled
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¾ cup olive oil
4 ounces Maytag blue cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
Store bought candied or spicy walnuts
2 - 5 ounce bags baby spinach leaves

Steps:

Bring Port, sugar, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon to boil in heavy small saucepan, stirring until sugar melts. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add pears, cover and simmer until tender when pierced with knife, turning pears every 5 minutes, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Let cool uncovered 20 minutes, turning pears once. Refrigerate pan uncovered until pears are chilled, turning every ½ hour, for about 1 ½ hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.) Remove pears from poaching liquid: reserve liquid. Cut pears lengthwise into quarters and core. Cut lengthwise into ¼ inch thick slices. Set pear slices aside. Boil ½ cup pear poaching liquid, shallots, and garlic in small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to medium, bowl and cool to room temperature. Whisk in vinegar and mustard. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange pears slices around edges of 4 plates. Sprinkle crumbled blue cheese between pear slices. Toss spinach and ½ cup dressing in large bowl to coat; mound in center of plates. Sprinkle with walnuts. Serve, passing remaining dressing separately.