This salad is easy to put together and is packed with flavour — sweet, sour and bitter — plus it’s crunchy and creamy. A great way to start a stick-to-your-ribs winter meal.
Ingredients
- 1 300 gram (10 ounce) package goat's cheese
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and crushed
- Bitter lettuce greens such as endive, radicchio, etc., cleaned and separated
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Remove the goat’s cheese from the packaging, place it onto a plate and put it in the freezer for about 30 minutes. While the cheese is in the freezer, place the bread crumbs, egg and flour into separate bowls. Add a small amount of water to the egg and whisk.
Once the goat's cheese is firm, use a wire cheese cutter (or unflavoured dental floss) and cut the log into 8 disks. Sprinkle each disk with a little salt and pepper, then one by one, dip each disk into the flour, coating it completely, then the egg wash, then finally into the bread crumbs, again, coating it completely. Set each breaded disk back onto a plate and place it back into the freezer for about 30 minutes.
Remove the cheese from the freezer and heat a frying pan over medium-low heat and add a couple spoonfuls of oil. Once the oil is warmed, place four pieces of cheese into the pan and cook until golden brown. Turn the cheese over and repeat. Remove from the pan, place on a plate and finish the remaining four pieces of cheese. Reserve.
Once the cheese has been fried, wipe the pan clean and add the honey. Cook the honey over medium heat until the honey turns to a caramel colour. Remove the pan from the heat and add the vinegar. Add a pinch of salt and stir well. Reserve.
To serve, place a few leaves of various bitter greens onto each plate. Add two pieces of fried goat’s cheese, then drizzle the plate with the torched honey gastrique. Sprinkle with toasted hazelnut pieces.
