Pink grapefruit and watercress salad

Taken from "VEG: simple, stylish and seasonal vegetarian cooking" by Catherine Mason (Pauntley Press, 2001, ISBN: 0-9534879-2-8, price £12.99)
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This salad is fruity and astringent – just the thing for a dull winter day when you feel in need of something enlivening. It makes an excellent companion dish for carbohydrate comfort food such as Couscous with saffron and butter beans.

• 1 pink grapefruit
• 2 Little Gem lettuce or 1 small Iceberg
• large bunch of watercress, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• a few roasted walnut pieces
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Using the sharpest knife you possess, peel the grapefruit, removing peel, pith and the thin skin from the outside surface of the fruit, all in one go. A gentle sawing movement is what's needed. Now hold the grapefruit over a bowl to catch the juice, and carefully remove each segment from its skin by slicing either side of it towards the centre of the fruit. Put the naked grapefruit segments in the bowl with the juice, and when you've finished, squeeze the remains hard in your hand over the bowl to extract the juice.

Wash and dry the lettuce and watercress and put them in the salad bowl. Dress with the olive oil, making sure the leaves are evenly coated. Add the grapefruit and its juice, the walnuts and balsamic vinegar, toss the salad, season with a little salt and pepper and toss again. Serve immediately.

SERVES 2

Recipe copyright © 2001 Catherine Mason | other sample recipes