Caramelized Fig & Orange Salad with Grilled Goat Cheese
Sometimes I get obsessed with a new ingredient and way of cooking it. I use it a lot, get sick of it and move onto my new obsession. My latest compulsion is grilled goat cheese. I finally found a type that grills to perfection. Is not too “goaty” and complements an acidic dressing. This cheese is called Chèvre Blanc, by Sainsbury’s. It is not fancy or expensive, but it is very, very good and holds together perfectly when grilled. My other obsession is figs. I love to find figs in season, not too sweet and pink inside with just a bit of softness to them. Grilling them brings out the delicate flavor. This salad has a few steps, but comes together quickly. I found a really good salad mix with baby greens, arugula and nastutium leaves. It gives the salad part a real punch of flavor. You can toss in baby spinach as well to up the nutritional value. If you want more than a salad, whip up some Mediterranean Bean Patties.
Caramelized Fig and Orange Salad with Grilled Goat Cheese
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 servings
Use a mix of baby lettuces with a bit of tang and bite to them. You can use Spinach as well.
Ingredients
- 2 large or 4 smaller Chèvre Blanc Goat Cheese rounds
- 4 big handfuls Mixed Baby Lettuce, rinsed and spun dry
- 4-6 fresh Figs, cut in half
- 1 Orange, rind peeled off and sliced into 1/8 inch rounds
- 1 Lemon, rind peeled off and sliced into 1/8 in rounds
- handful of Pecans
- splash of Maple Syrup
- 1/2 cup Orange Juice
- 1/4 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 Shallot, minced
- 1/4 cup Brown Rice Vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- Sea Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the Broiler to High
- Heat a large skillet and toss in the Pecans
- Brown over low heat, tossing often
- Toss in a glaze of Maple Syrup and stir
- Let the Pecans caramelize a bit, but don't burn
- Remove and let cool
- Return the pan to heat and glaze with another splash of Maple Syrup
- When hot, put the figs in, cut side down
- Add the Lemons and Orange and let everything brown up nicely, flip the citrus over but leave the figs cut side down
- While the fruit browns, put the goat cheese on tray just under the broiler, broil 5-8 minutes
- You need to watch it and as soon as it is brown and bubbling, remove the tray and set aside to settle
- When the fruit is browned up beautifully, remove carefully and let cool
- Deglaze the pan with the Orange juice, stirring up any brown bits
- Pour into a jar and let cool...or cheat and add an ice cube to speed it up
- Add the Shallot, Dijon, Vinegar, Olive Oil and season with Salt and Pepper
- Taste and add a bit of Maple Syrup to balance the flavor if it is too acidic
- Arrange the Salad Greens, Nuts, Figs and Citrus on a large platter or individual plates
- Sprinkle the dressing over everything and top with the Grilled Goat Cheese
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