Salad with Warm Goat Cheese

Salads are so much better with a crunch! This is one of my favorite light lunches/dinners. The goat cheese is so creamy and lemony - it tastes so much better this way than simply crumbled. This recipe is originally from Barefoot Contessa, so I included her dressing recipe. When I make it, I just put a salad together with whatever vinaigrette I have on hand or I'll dress it with just olive oil, salt and pepper.



Salad with Warm Goat Cheese

1 (11-ounce) log plain or herbed Montrachet
4 extra-large egg whites, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Panko bread crumbs

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons good cider vinegar
2 tablespoons good Champagne vinegar
Pinch sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 extra-large egg yolk
1 cup good olive oil

Enough mixed salad greens for 6 servings

Olive oil and unsalted butter, for frying

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 plate and chill them for at least 15 minutes in the fridge.

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.