Peaches and Pancetta Salad with Gruyere

Spring has officially sprung in Sydney and today was an opportunity to try out a new salad that is a variation of the one I saw in Heston Blumenthal's Heston at Home. It was a perfect salad to go with a roast chicken and lamb with roasted potatoes.

The key to this salad is to use the best and freshest ingredients you can find. You'll need:

• 200g rocket
• 2 white peaches, cut into 1/8 slices
• 25g balsamic vinegar
• 200g pancetta
• 80g Gruyere cheese, shaved
• 40g white wine vinegar
• 40g Dijon mustard
• 120g olive oil

Preheat the oven to 170C. Mix the mustard, vinegar, and olive oil together, whisking briskly. Then set aside. 

Bake the pancetta slices on baking paper inside a flat pan until crisp, about 10 minutes. Then chop roughly and set aside. Simmer the balsamic in a small pan until it takes on a syrup consistency and then let cool.

Cook the peaches on a hot BBQ for about 5 minutes on each side, achieving attractive grill marks. In a bowl combine the rocket, cheese, chopped pancetta, and peaches. Drizzle the balsamic reduction along the edge of the bowl. Add the dressing and toss. Serve with a nice Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc!