winter salad

Here is the salad I made at the Valley Dish show yesterday. I created it especially for Tram after I was on the last time and made crisp mozzarella slices to go with a risotto dish. She’d mentioned that she loved the crisp warm cheese and I asked if she’d had warm goat cheese done the same way. She said that she had and would love to learn how to make it, this is how this salad came to be. I’m sure most of you have had something similar while dining out.  It is easy and delicious to re-create at home. Eliminate the shredded chicken to make a lovely vegetarian main-course salad. Here is THE LINK to the intro for the segment I was on, the salad and pudding making are not up, so this is just a bit of a tease.

Tip: One of the best tips around; use dental floss to slice the goat cheese. It makes a perfectly clean cut, something a knife just can not do!

Salad with Chicken, Pears, Walnuts, and Warm Goat Cheese

1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
11-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet),
sliced  into 12 rounds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten in a flat bowl
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
6 cups mixed baby greens
2 Belgian endive, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast
2 large ripe pears, cored and cut into 12 slices each
1/3 cup dried cranberries

Mix both the fresh and the Panko breadcrumbs along with the thyme on a flat plate. Season goat cheese rounds with salt and pepper. Dip cheese rounds into beaten egg, then into breadcrumbs, coating completely.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (May be prepared up to 6 hours ahead.)

Whisk vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon, and parsley in a small bowl to blend.  Gradually whisk in the 1/2 cup olive oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add walnuts and sauté until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.  Transfer to paper towels, using a slotted spoon.

Reduce heat to medium, then add cheese rounds to skillet and cook until crisp and brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Combine mixed greens and Belgian endive in a large bowl. Toss with one-third of the dressing. Divide among 4 plates.

Place the shredded chicken, pears, and cranberries in the same bowl and toss with another third of the dressing. Mound on top of the greens on each plate.

Using a metal spatula, place 3 cheese rounds just off the center of each salad, and drizzle with the remaining dressing.  Sprinkle with walnuts and serve immediately

Serves 4