Gill's Spinach, Chorizo & Halloumi Salad

Actually, this was created by Gill's friend Jane, but it comes to us via Gill, so we're putting her name on it. It's a salad that uses up the kinds of things you find in the refrigerator during the summer.

Ingredients

• 4 large handfuls of baby spinach leaves, washed

• 8 oz Halloumi cheese, cut into 4 pieces

• 2 fat cloves of garlic, crushed

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for tossing and drizzling

• 24 spears of fresh asparagus, trimmed

• 5 oz chorizo, thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup balsamic syrup salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Divide the spinach among 4 large plates.

Lay the Halloumi cheese in a shallow dish. Mix the crushed garlic and olive oil together and pour it over the pieces of cheese and leave them to marinate for a few minutes.

Heat a grill pan over medium to high heat until it's very hot. Meanwhile, put the asparagus into a bowl, add a little olive oil, and toss until well coated. Season with a pinch of salt, then chargrill the asparagus spears until they are nicely lined or charred. You may want to cut a few in half lengthwise before putting them on the grill if they are really fat. Divide the asparagus among the bowls.

Now add the slices of Halloumi to the pan, along with the marinade.
Fry the cheese until it starts to turn golden on the outside. Divide it evenly among the salad bowls, arranging it on top of the asparagus.

Finally, pan-fry the chorizo in a clean skillet. As it cooks, it will release plenty of its spicy oils. This is a good thing! When the sausage starts to get a little crispy on the outside, divide it up, along with the juices, on top of the 4 salads.

Drizzle the servings with any more olive oil that you might think is needed, and finish off with a little salt, lots of pepper, and a tablespoon of balsamic syrup per serving.