Rocket & Pear With Lemon Miso Dressing & Candied Walnuts

Recipes & food styling Jude Messenger
Photography Olivia Moore

	CANDIED WALNUTS
	1 teaspoon fine sea salt
	3 cups water
	1 cup walnut pieces
	1 cup sugar
	LEMON MISO DRESSING
	2 lemons, zest and juice (giving approx. 2 tablespoon juice)
	¼ cup water
	¼ cup caster sugar
	½ cup sake
	1 tablespoon white miso (shiro) paste
	120g rocket leaves, washed
	1 crisp pear, cored, cut into matchsticks
	¼ cup lemon miso dressing (see recipe)
	½ cup candied walnuts (see recipe)

1.	CANDIED WALNUTS
2.	Heat the oven to 150°C fan bake.
3.	Dissolve the salt in 2 cups of water in a pan, then add the walnuts and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.
4.	Strain and dry the walnuts on a paper towel.
5.	Dissolve the sugar in 1 cup water, add the walnuts and simmer for 10 minutes until they are nicely coated in the sugar syrup.
6.	Drain the nuts (keep the syrup for cocktails), transfer them to a baking tray and bake them for approximately 20-30 minutes until they are golden and shiny.
7.	Cool the walnuts to room temperature until they become crisp and delicious – they can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
8.	LEMON MISO DRESSING
9.	Scrape the lemons with a zesting knife and blanch the zest in salted boiling water for 5 seconds then refresh in ice cold water.
10.	Repeat this step 3 times, changing the blanching water each time.
11.	Bring the water, sugar and sake to a boil, add the zest and simmer for 3 minutes.
12.	Remove from the heat, add the miso paste and stir until it dissolves.
13.	Cool the dressing to room temperature, add the lemon juice and strain through a fine sieve.
14.	The recipe makes more than you need for the salad, so store the remainder in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
15.	Put the rocket and pear into a large salad bowl and gently dress with the lemon miso dressing.
16.	Break up the walnuts and add them to the salad.