Avocado, Grapefruit & Watercress Salad With Roquefort

Chef Regina V. Smith's Note:

This recipe is from the May 1991 issue of Gourmet Magazine.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 ½ grapefruits
• 1 ½ avocados (preferably California)
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups watercress , packed
• 1⁄3; cup Roquefort cheese , crumbled

Directions:

1. With a serrated knife cut the zest and pith from the grapefruits and working over a bowl, cut the flesh into section, discarding the membranes and reserving 6 tablespoons of the juice.
2. Peel and pit the avocados and cut them into 12 wedges. In a bowl sprinkle the avocados with 3 tablespoons of the reserved grapefruit juice, coating them thoroughly.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons grapefruit juice, the vinegar, mustard, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste, add the oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk the dressing until it is emulisfied.
4. In a large bowl toss the watercress with two thirds of the dressing and divide it amoung 4 salad plates. Top the watercress decoratively with the avocado wedges, drained, and the grapefruit sections, sprinkle the salads with the Roquefort, and drizzle them with the remaining dressing.