Roast Pear and Green Bean Salad with Red Wine Poached Fillet...

Today I had lunch with the lovely Paul, from http://www.eatmefood.blogspot.com/ and he had a salad with green beans in it and it reminded me to put up this post. This one is for you Paul... I give you the measurements and details here but I warn you I am not always a rule player. The recipe called for cream in the dressing so I used sour cream, it said red wine vinegar but I used balsamic, it said to measure out the said ingredients but I didn't... Then for the meat, well I just did whatever I thought was easiest... I bound the fillets with string but I doubt it makes any real difference... I used black peppercorns, thyme, garlic, red wine and stock... The liquid should be at a simmer, it must cover the meat completely and you cook it for 6-10 minutes depending on whether you like it rare, (6) medium (8) or well done (10) and then you remove the meat and keep it warm... take out some of the stock/wine and reduce it to a third of it's original volume, take it off the heat and stir in a few cubes of butter (2-3 teaspoons), adjust the seasoning and pour over your meat... I serve this with the bean salad, some chat potatoes boiled in their jackets and smashed, seasoned and buttered... it was a nice meal... Vida x

Dressing

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons sour cream

Place all ingredients in a screw-topped jar and shake well.

Salad

3 firm beurre bosc pears
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
30g caster sugar
800g green beans, topped and tailed
50g hazelnuts chopped

Preheat oven to 180C

Cut each pear into halves and then each half into thirds.
Lay pears on a roasting pan and drizzle with 3 TB oil and the red wine vinegar and sugar. Roast for 20-25 minutes until soft.

Toss the beans in 2 TB oil and put in a single layer on another baking ban. Roast for 20 minutes (or alternatively, quickly blanch or microwave beans to partly cook until just crunchy.)

Cool to room temperature and combine with dressing. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts.

Serve immediately. (I don't even follow this rule).... V x