Warm Goat’s Cheese Salad with Peppers and Candied Pecans
Prep 15 MINS
Cook 15 MINS
This is an impressive salad that would be nice enough to serve at a relaxed dinner party or a special midweek dinner with your family. It takes very little time to get on the table. I always use the classic French chevre blanc that comes in a log with a rind so that it can be cut into handy rounds.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 4–6 long slices of baguette (preferably sourdough)
- 1 × 290g (10¼oz) jar of roasted peppers in oil
- 325g (11½oz) firm goat’s cheese, sliced (see the intro)
- 100g (4oz) baby spinach leaves (use nice small leaves)
- 50g (2oz) frisée salad leaves
- 4 tbsp sliced black olives
- about 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE CANDIED PECANS
- 100g (4oz) pecan nuts
- 25g (1oz) butter, diced
- 2 tbsp light muscovado sugar
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas mark 6).
- Spread the pecan nuts on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for 5–6 minutes, until toasted. Remove from the oven and using a spoon, quickly toss in the butter and sugar until the sugar has completely dissolved. Turn out onto a plate, season with salt and pepper and leave to cool and harden.
- Arrange the slices of baguette on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 3–4 minutes, until lightly toasted.
- Meanwhile, drain the oil from the peppers and reserve, then cut the peppers into thin strips. Remove the baguettes from the oven and drizzle lightly with a little of the reserved oil, then arrange the goat’s cheese on top and bake for another 3–4 minutes, until just beginning to bubble and turn golden.
- Meanwhile, place the baby spinach and frisée on plates or in shallow bowls, then scatter over the peppers and olives. Drizzle over a little of the reserved pepper oil and enough balsamic vinegar to lightly coat the leaves. Season with salt and pepper, then scatter over the candied pecan nuts. Arrange the goat’s cheese toasts on top to serve.
