Forty years ago next spring, Chez Panisse Café opened in Berkeley and introduced Americans to the baked goat cheese salad. The café’s menu changes daily, but that dish is still on it, a testament to its enduring popularity. As a cook there in the early days, I made a few million of those salads. I still love the combination of quivery cheese and crunchy breadcrumbs.
The Chez Panisse classic calls for serving the warm cheese on dressed baby greens. For a heartier variation that appeals to me in cold weather, I’ll place the soft cheeses on a warm red cabbage salad sharpened with sherry vinegar. You can cook the cabbage ahead; just undercook it slightly to allow for reheating.
For breadcrumbs, I like to use finely crushed croutons. I make my own from a sliced baguette, brushing the slices with olive oil on both sides and baking them in a 375°F oven until they are golden brown. When they’re cool, I pulverize some of them in a food processor and save some to serve with the salad. You can use store-bought packaged croutons or get them from a supermarket salad bar.
Baked Goat Cheese with Warm Red Cabbage Salad
Choose a rindless goat cheese log that you can slice into rounds with a thin knife. The slices should be at least an inch thick. If your goat cheese is more than a couple of inches in diameter, an inch-thick slice will be too much for one person. In that event, cut the slice in half to make half-moons. Adapted from The Cheese Course by Janet Fletcher (Chronicle Books).
1/3 cup walnuts
3-1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 small head red cabbage (about 12 ounces), cored and very thinly sliced
Scant ½ teaspoon fennel seed, crushed in a mortar or spice grinder
1-1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, or more to taste
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
Four 2-ounces portions fresh goat cheese with no rind
½ cup fine crumbs made from homemade or storebought croutons
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toast the walnuts on a baking sheet until fragrant and lightly colored, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then chop coarsely.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until just wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute to release its fragrance. Add the cabbage, fennel seed, 1-1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with tongs to blend. Cook briskly, tossing often, until the cabbage softens and is no longer crunchy, about 5 minutes. Taste and add a little more vinegar if desired. Add the walnuts and parsley. Let cool slightly.
Preheat the broiler and position a rack 7 to 8 inches from the heating element. Roll the cheese in the remaining 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil, then in the crumbs, coating all sides evenly. (You may not need all the crumbs.) Place on a baking sheet and broil until the crumbs on top darken slightly and become crisp, about 1 minute. (Watch carefully to prevent scorching.) Reduce the oven temperature to 425°F and bake until the cheese feels quivery, about 4 minutes.
Divide the warm cabbage salad among 4 plates and top with the cheese. Serve immediately.
Serves 4
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