In autumn, this salad often makes its way onto our table: roasted Hokkaido pumpkin alongside the bitter leaves of chicory and radicchio, with roasted Piedmont hazelnuts and crispy Ventrêche Basque. The sweetness of the pumpkin, the bitterness of the salads and the smokiness of the bacon complement each other without any one ingredient overpowering the others. The walnut oil and red wine vinegar vinaigrette brings it all together. A typical bistro dish from our kitchen, quick to make and yet festive enough for an autumn evening with guests.
Autumn cuisine · Starter or light main course
Autumn salad with pumpkin & bitter salad
The effort is minimal: wash the salad, roast the pumpkin, crisp up the bacon – and in around 35 minutes, everything is ready to serve. Whether as a light main course or as a starter before an autumn menu, it works equally well.
Preparation
Salad & Vinaigrette
1
Wash the radicchio and chicory, spin dry and cut into bite-sized pieces.
2
Whisk together the walnut oil, red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and Piment d'Espelette to make a vinaigrette, pour over the salad and toss.
Pumpkin & Bacon
3
Wash the Hokkaido pumpkin and cut into large cubes (the skin can be eaten). Roast in hot grapeseed oil over medium heat until tender and golden brown, then season with Ras el Hanout and salt.
4
In a separate pan, fry the Ventrêche without additional fat until crispy.
Plating
5
Arrange the warm pumpkin on the radicchio-chicory salad, sprinkle with the Piedmont hazelnuts and crispy Ventrêche, and serve immediately.
Tip
Herbes de Provence also works well with pumpkin instead of Ras el Hanout. If you can't get Ventrêche Basque, use streaky bacon or pancetta instead. And white wine vinegar works just as well instead of red wine vinegar – the vinaigrette will simply be a little lighter in acidity.
