Goat Cheese Salad With Pancetta Dried Cherry And Port Dressing Recipes

Steps:

• In a large serving bowl, combine mesclun and dried cherries. Crumble goat cheese on top and sprinkle with pepper.
• In a large skillet cook pancetta in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly browned. Pour off about 3 tablespoons (about 1/3 cup should be left in skillet with pancetta). Add garlic and sauté mixture, stirring, until garlic is golden. Carefully add thyme and vinegar. Increase heat to moderately high and boil mixture 1 minute.
• Add hot vinaigrette to salad and toss. Serve salad immediately.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine dried cherries with warm water to cover. Set aside to soften.
• In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and pancetta. Cook until fat is rendered, about 6 minutes. Drain pancetta on paper towels and discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet.
• Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Return pancetta to pan and cook until crispy. Add garlic and cook until just golden, about 1 minute. Reduce heat, add thyme and stir well. Add 15 good turns of black pepper. Add vinegar, return pan to heat, and deglaze pan, scraping up all the brown bits that cling to the bottom and sides of the pan. Simmer until vinegar reduces by half. Whisk in porcini oil. Season with salt.
• Put mixed greens in a salad bowl. Crumble the goat cheese over the greens. Quickly toss mixture with pancetta dressing so greens barely wilt. Drain cherries. Add cherries, toss again. Immediately transfer to plates and serve.

Steps:

• Combine cherries and Port in heavy small saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat; let stand until cherries swell, about 15 minutes. Sauté pancetta in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Add shallots and garlic; cook 2 minutes. Add oil, then vinegar and sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Stir in cherry mixture. Season with salt and pepper. (Dressing can be made 2 hours ahead. Set aside in skillet at room temperature.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place goat cheese slices on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until warm, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine salad greens and pine nuts in bowl. Rewarm dressing and pour over salad; toss to blend. Top with warm goat cheese and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs with salt and pepper, to taste. Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of the olive oil, to just dampen the crumbs and mix well with a fork. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet and toast in oven until golden and crisped, about 5 to 7 minutes. Allow to cool, then toss in chopped thyme.
• Brush the goat cheese disks lightly with the remaining 1/4 cup of the oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Coat the cheese on all sides with toasted bread crumbs. Bake on a parchment or silicone lined rimmed baking sheet until warmed through, about 5 minutes.
• Divide the mixed baby greens between 4 plates. Carefully, divide the goat cheese rounds on top of each salad, garnish with a sprig of thyme and serve.

Steps:

• Spiced Pecans:
• In a small bowl combine the paprika, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat add the sugar and cook until all of the sugar is melted and light brown in color. Carefully whisk in the butter. Add the spice mix and turn off the heat. Add the pecans and stir with a rubber spatula until all of the pecans are completely coated. Spray with nonstick cooking spray which will help the pecans separate. Once all of the pecans are coated turn out onto a greased sheet tray or a sheet tray lined with a silicone mat. Break up any pieces that may be stuck together. Let cool 5 minutes before serving with the salad.
• In a medium bowl whisk together the goat cheese and buttermilk. Whisk in the remaining dressing ingredients until combined and smooth. Set aside.
• Heat the canola oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and fry until crispy and light brown, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.
• Add the greens to a large bowl. Drizzle with 3/4 of the dressing, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to coat the greens. Transfer the salad to a platter and garnish with candied pecans, sliced grapes, and fried shallots. Drizzle with remaining dressing and serve.

Steps:

• Slice the Montrachet into 12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices. (The easiest way to slice goat cheese is to use a length of dental floss.) Dip each slice into the beaten egg whites, then the bread crumbs, being sure the cheese is thoroughly coated. Place the slices on a rack and chill them for at least 15 minutes.
• For the dressing, place the vinegars, sugar, salt, pepper, and egg yolk in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and blend for 1 minute. With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube until the vinaigrette is thickened. Season, to taste.
• Toss the salad greens with enough dressing to moisten, then divide them among 6 plates.
• Melt 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat until just under smoking. Cook the goat cheese rounds quickly on both sides until browned on the outside but not melted inside. Top each salad with 2 warm rounds and serve.

Steps:

• Combine the arugula, cherries, half the nuts and the tarragon in a large bowl.
• Whisk together the vinegars, salt and pepper and olive oil. Toss with the salad. Arrange on a platter, sprinkle the goat cheese and remaining pistachios over the top, and serve.