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Frisée, Hazelnut and Goat Cheese Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Frisee has a slightly bitter taste and crisp, curly leaves. It goes great with a tangy vinaigrette, crispy nuts and soft goat cheese.

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Yield: 4 servings as an appetizer

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Active Time: 20 minutes
Start to Finish: 20 minutes

For this recipe you’ll need:

For the vinagrette:

1/4 pound bacon, cut into lardons
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 to 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

2 to 3 bunches frisée, cut into bite-sized pieces, washed and spun dry
1 Granny Smith apple, julienned
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and lightly crushed
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled

To make the vinaigrette, heat a small sauté pan over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, but leave the bacon fat in the pan.
Add the shallot to the pan and gently sauté until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard, vinegar and thyme leaves. Drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust with more oil or vinegar if needed.
To assemble the salad, toss together the frisée, apples and hazelnuts. Dress with just enough of the warm vinaigrette to coat the greens.
Serve on small plates topped with a crumble of goat cheese.