Best paired with: Manzanilla

Preparation and cooking time: 45 mins                        
serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 generous tablespoon good quality honey
  
• 75 ml dry sherry such as manzanilla or fino
  
• 150 g fresh cherries
  
• 1 red onion, cut into 3 mm thick rounds
  
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1 tablespoon sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  
• about 100 g mixed salad leaves
  
• 12 slices Parma ham | 300 g soft young goat’s cheese
  
• 75 g  toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
  
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped curly leaf parsley
• sea-salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

Method

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4/180°C/350°F. Put the honey and sherry into a saucepan and gently heat until the honey has melted. Add the cherries and remove from the heat. Allow to cool. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the liquid and set aside.

Put the onion on a baking tray and pour over the balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the sugar and season with a little salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes, turning once. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, make a dressing by mixing the mustard, lemon juice and reserved cherry syrup in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the remaining oil, check the seasoning and set aside.

Place the salad leaves in a bowl and toss lightly with a couple of teaspoons of dressing. Divide among four plates.

To serve, layer the salad starting with a slice of Parma ham, a crumbling of goat’s cheese, some red onions and a cherry or two. Repeat until you have used everything up. Scatter over the hazelnuts, drizzle the remaining dressing and finally sprinkle over the parsley.