This macerated strawberry, chicory, pecorino and sunflower seed salad is all about balance. Sweet, juicy strawberries, crisp and slightly bitter chicory, salty shavings of British pecorino and toasted sunflower seeds for crunch. Fresh, light and colourful, it’s the kind of salad that shows how well fruit can work in savoury cooking.

Macerating the strawberries is the step that brings everything together. Tossing them with red wine vinegar, agave and a good pinch of salt draws out their juices and softens them slightly, while the vinegar sharpens their sweetness. After 15 minutes or so, you’ll have a bowl of glossy, intensely flavoured strawberries sitting in a beautiful pink liquid. That liquid becomes the base of the dressing. Whisked with olive oil and black pepper, it makes a sweet, sharp vinaigrette that ties the whole salad together. Black pepper and strawberries are a classic pairing, adding a gentle warmth that brings out their flavour.

Chicory is what keeps the salad from feeling too sweet. Its crisp, slightly bitter leaves balance the strawberries and hold the dressing well. Red or white chicory both work, and a mix looks lovely. Shave the pecorino into thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler so you get a little salty, savoury hit in each mouthful. Toasting the sunflower seeds with a little salt in a dry pan brings out their nutty flavour and adds crunch. Let them cool before adding so they stay crisp.

British strawberries are at their best in late spring and summer, when they’re sweet, fragrant and full of flavour. Use them at room temperature rather than straight from the fridge, as cold dulls their taste. If you can’t find pecorino, Parmesan works well, or use a vegetarian hard cheese for a vegetarian version, as traditional pecorino is usually made with animal rennet.

This salad is lovely as a starter, a side for summer lunches, garden parties and barbecues, or alongside grilled chicken, pork or fish. To get ahead, toast the seeds and prepare the chicory earlier in the day, then macerate the strawberries and toss everything together just before serving so the leaves stay crisp.