Frisée Pear Blue Cheese Crispy Prosciutto Salad

There's a particular moment in late autumn when I realized that salad didn't have to mean rabbit food—it was standing in a tiny Parisian bistro, watching the chef assemble this exact plate with the casual confidence of someone who understood that bitter, sweet, salty, and crispy weren't competing flavors but a conversation. The frisée was so assertively green it practically argued with the pears, the blue cheese melted into creamy pockets, and that prosciutto shattered between my teeth like savory glass. I've been chasing that feeling in my own kitchen ever since, and this salad is exactly how I found it.

I served this to my sister on a day when she'd been complaining that salads were boring, and watching her stop mid-conversation to savor it felt like a small victory. She asked if I'd bought it from somewhere fancy, and I let her think so for about thirty seconds before confessing it took me twenty-five minutes. The blue cheese somehow made everything taste more sophisticated, like we'd both been transported somewhere better than my Tuesday evening kitchen.

Ingredients

• Frisée lettuce: The bitter, feathery base that refuses to wilt—it's sturdy enough to hold the weight of cheese and pear without turning to soup.
• Ripe pears: Slice them just before serving or they'll brown, and choose ones that yield slightly to pressure but aren't mushy.
• Blue cheese: Crumble it by hand rather than chopping; those irregular shards melt into warm spots that reward you mid-bite.
• Prosciutto: Baking it instead of pan-frying saves you from standing over a hot stove and gives you those shards that shatter instead of chew.
• Toasted walnuts or pecans: Toast them yourself if you have time—the smell alone justifies it, and they stay crunchier longer than store-bought.
• Extra-virgin olive oil: Use one you'd actually drink straight from the bottle, because it's the backbone of your vinaigrette.
• White wine or champagne vinegar: The gentler acidity won't bruise your delicate greens the way harsher vinegars might.
• Dijon mustard: An emulsifier that keeps your dressing from separating and adds a subtle sharpness.
• Honey: Just enough to smooth the vinegar's edges and make friends with the salty prosciutto.
• Salt and pepper: Taste as you go—the cheese and prosciutto are already salty, so restraint matters here.

Instructions

Get your prosciutto ready:

Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the prosciutto in a single layer—they can touch but shouldn't overlap—and slide them into the oven.

Let it crisp while you prep:

While the prosciutto transforms from floppy to shatteringly crisp (8–10 minutes), you'll know it's ready when the edges have darkened and it smells absolutely irresistible. Pull it out, let it cool on the sheet for a minute, then break it into shards with your hands like you're breaking stained glass.

Whisk your vinaigrette:

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper—whisk until it emulsifies into something that coats the back of a spoon. Taste it and adjust; it should make your mouth water a little, not pucker.

Build your salad base:

Tear the frisée into bite-sized pieces (don't cut it; tearing preserves the delicate structure), then toss it into a large bowl with your sliced pears, crumbled blue cheese, and toasted walnuts. This is your foundation, and it should look abundant.

Dress gently:

Drizzle the vinaigrette over everything and toss with a light hand—you're coating, not drowning. The goal is for every piece of frisée to have a whisper of dressing, not for it to be sitting in a pool.

Crown it with prosciutto:

Right before serving, scatter those crispy prosciutto shards over the top so they stay crunchy and dramatically catch the light. This is the moment where it transforms from salad into something people actually want to eat.

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There's something about eating this salad that makes you slow down, which is rare in a world of rushed meals. It's the kind of dish that reminds you why people say food is a love language—because someone took the time to think about how flavors should dance together.

Timing and Temperature

The secret to this salad feeling special is respecting the temperature layers—the warm prosciutto against cool pear, the room-temperature cheese softening just enough to coat your palate. I learned this by making it too early and serving it at one uniform temperature, which somehow made it taste like nothing. Now I time my prosciutto to come out of the oven about five minutes before I'm ready to plate, giving it just enough time to cool from dangerous to delicious.

Cheese and Flavor Pairing

Blue cheese gets a bad reputation from people who've only had the aggressive stuff, but here it's not the star—it's the punctuation mark that makes everything else taste better. The pear sweetness quiets its intensity, and the bitter frisée creates a three-way conversation where no voice dominates. I once tried this with milder cheeses thinking it would appeal to more people, and it just tasted like sadness.

Making It Your Own

This salad is elegant enough to serve as a first course but substantial enough to be lunch when you add a crusty bread and maybe a glass of something crisp. I've swapped in arugula for people who find frisée too bitter, substituted candied walnuts when I was feeling fancy, and once even added crispy bacon bits from a jar when I was running late (it worked, but the prosciutto is unquestionably better). The framework is sturdy enough that it can handle your improvisation.

• If pears aren't in season, use ripe apple slices or even dried apricots reconstituted in a splash of warm water.
• Toast your own nuts in a dry pan for five minutes if you have them raw—the difference in crunch is worth the small effort.
• Make extra vinaigrette and keep it in a jar; it's perfect on roasted vegetables, grilled fish, or even strawberries for an unexpected finish.

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This salad proved to me that sometimes the most elegant dishes are the ones that seem effortless, and the ones that taste best are always the ones you make with intention. Serve it to someone you want to impress, or make it for yourself on a day when you deserve something that tastes like you tried.

Recipe Questions & Answers

→ Can I make this salad ahead of time?

Prepare components separately in advance. Store the vinaigrette in a sealed container, keep sliced pears in lemon water to prevent browning, and crumble blue cheese ahead. Assemble just before serving to maintain the crispy prosciutto texture and fresh frisée crunch.

→ What can I substitute for frisée lettuce?

Arugula adds peppery notes, while baby spinach offers milder flavor. Mixed young greens also work beautifully. Each substitute brings its own character while maintaining the salad's sophisticated balance of bitter, sweet, and creamy elements.

→ How do I keep the prosciutto perfectly crispy?

Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 8-10 minutes until deeply colored and brittle. Let cool completely on the baking sheet—the residual heat continues crisping. Break into shards just before serving to prevent humidity from softening them.

→ Which blue cheese works best?

Classic Roquefort delivers sharp intensity, while Gorgonzola Dolce offers creamier mildness. Stilton falls somewhere between. Choose based on your preference—the pears' sweetness balances any blue cheese beautifully.

→ Can I make this vegetarian?

Simply omit the prosciutto and increase toasted walnuts or pecans to 45g. Alternatively, add roasted chickpeas or crispy fried capers for salty crunch. The vinaigrette already contains honey instead of meat-based ingredients.