Baked Goat Cheese with Frisee – Recipe

I finally got around to making the Baked Goat Cheese and Frisee dish I’ve had my eye on ever since frisee started appearing as an option on our Thursday pick ups.  I love the combination of the two flavors – very decadent. And I reminisced about a similar dish I experienced back in my art school days at a restaurant called the Stolen Grill in Kansas City, MO – which I’m sure not longer exists.  But Alas, although my results were pretty good, they just did not measure up to my cravings.  I’ll have to keep working on it.  If anyone out there has a good recipe, please send it my way.

Baked Goat Cheese With Frisee Salad <CLICK

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1 bunch fresh thyme or rosemary – leaves only
• 3/4 cup  extra-virgin olive oil
• 16 ounces goat cheese (the fresher the better)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Coating

• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme or rosemary for breadcrumbs
• 1 cup cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• pinch of sea salt

Salad

• 1 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons leftover olive oil marinade
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cups frisée

1. Mix thyme, black pepper and olive oil in a deep dish, large enough to hold goat cheese rounds in 1 layer.
2. Cut cheese into disks about 3/4-inch thick, add to the dish.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Turn cheese over and marinate for at least 12 more hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 375F.
5. Mix bread crumbs with a pinch of sea salt and olive oil.
6. Spread the crumbs on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring a few times during baking. Once toasted, let cool and mix in chopped fresh thyme or parsley.
7. Remove the goat cheese rounds from the oil and let the excess drip off briefly.
8. Dredge the cheese in the toasted breadcrumb mixture until they’re completely coated. Bake on a cookie sheet or in a gratin dish for 5 to 8 minutes, or until warmed through and soft when you press gently in the center. Don’t over-bake them or they will start drying out.
9. Remove the pan from oven and use a spatula to lift the cheese rounds.
10. Toss the frisée with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat. Evenly divide the salad and the cheese among 4 dinner plates. Serve warm with garlic toasts.