Chicory, blue cheese & candied walnut boats

Summary

Tangy cheese and crunchy honey-coated walnuts make an excellent pairing, especially when sitting on pretty-yet-robust chicory leaves. you can prepare the walnuts in advance; store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. alex szrok, chef at the waitrose cookery school, prepared this recipe for a canapés and cocktails live class in december 2023. the party menu also included haddock scotch quail eggs, roast beef, horseradish and yorkshire skewers, potato rostis, crème fraîche & dill, mini mortadella, pistachio & ricotta sandwiches, mince pie eton mess and two cocktails, rosy cheeks and the polar espresso. find out about more classes here.

Step by Step

Step 1

Toast the walnut pieces in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, stirring frequently until they smell toasty and are starting to take on some colour (2-3 minutes). Turn off the heat and quickly drizzle in the honey, stirring continuously until it is clinging to the walnuts. Tip out onto a plate, sprinkle with sea salt, leave to cool, then roughly chop.

Step 2

Put the blue cheese and single cream in a small food processor and whizz until smooth. Arrange the chicory leaves on a serving platter, then pipe or spoon some whipped blue cheese into each and top with the honey walnuts. Drizzle with extra honey and grind over a little black pepper to serve.