Grilled Goat's Cheese Salad

Melted French Goat’s Cheese on Herb Flavoured Aubergine

Aug 22, 2009 Jack Montgomery

An imaginative warm vegetarian salad which looks stunning and tastes even better; the perfect choice for a sophisticated lunch, or light dinner.

Mention salads and many people immediately think ‘healthy, but not very exciting’. Admittedly there are many salads around which are about as imaginative as the average amoeba; which can make eating them more of a righteous chore than a pleasurable experience.

The healthy option tag that is often attached to salads sometimes comes with an abstemious reputation. But salads don’t have to be like that. Salads can be sexy, sophisticated and tasty. The introduction of an ingredient from the wrong side of the health food tracks can really shake them up for the better and add some welcome pizzazz to a too often austere arm of the culinary world.

In this recipe, savoury French goat’s cheese is the main protagonist, but it’s aided and abetted by the wonderfully aromatic partnership of basil and oregano as well as the sweet delicacy of sun dried tomatoes. Combined they act as a perfect balance to the slight bitterness of the aubergine creating a medley of flavours which will pleasantly surprise even the most sophisticated of palates.

However, the real pièce de résistance here is the addition of forest berries such as redcurrants, blackcurrants, or raspberries to the salad. Without them, Grilled Goat’s Cheese Salad is still a wonderfully tasty light dinner, or lunch option. With them, the dish reaches a new level as the berries’ tart sweetness acts as a catalyst for both pulling the ingredient’s flavours together and unlocking them; setting them free to ‘wow’ unsuspecting taste buds.

Ingredients for Grilled Goat’s Cheese

1 large aubergine (eggplant)
8 sun-dried tomatoes
200g Crottin of French goat’s cheese sliced into 12 circular medallions
12 basil leaves
2 tbsp fresh oregano
Olive oil
Rock salt
Pepper

Ingredients for the Salad Dressing

1 tbsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp Dijon mustard
50 ml olive oil
A pinch of sugar

Ingredients for the salad

100g of mixed lettuce leaves
6 cherry tomatoes halved
2 tbsp of forest berries such as redcurrants, blackcurrants, or raspberries

For two people

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Preparation for Grilled Goat’s Cheese Salad

Halve the aubergine lengthways and then halve each section lengthways again.
Place the aubergine slices on a baking tray and brush with olive oil. Season each slice with ground pepper and rock salt.
Place under a hot grill for 7 minutes by which time they should be nicely charred.
Whilst the aubergine is grilling, whisk the olive oil with the white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and sugar in a large bowl.
Season to suit personal tastes then add the mixed lettuce leaves and cherry tomatoes and toss thoroughly to coat. Arrange the salad leaves and cherry tomatoes in the centre of each plate then spoon over the forest berries, drizzling any berry juices onto the plate with a creative swirl.
Turn the aubergine slices over and brush the other side with olive oil and season as before. This time leave them under the grill for 5 minutes until charred.
Remove the grilled slices of aubergine and arrange them so that the slightly charred aubergine flesh is facing upwards on all slices.
Lay two sun dried tomatoes on each slice along with fresh oregano and basil leaves (tear the leaves just before arranging them on the aubergine for a more intense flavour).
Place 3 goat’s cheese medallions on each herb and tomato bed and season with ground pepper.
Return to the grill for 2 to 3 minutes until the goat’s cheese has started to brown and bubble.

Remove and, using a fish slice, place the grilled goat’s cheese on aubergine slices on the bed of lettuce in a V shape (for presentational purposes) and serve with a crisp white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc.

Cooks Tip: If berries are unavailable, experiment with alternative fruits like mango or dates, or even a spoonful of fruit preserve.

The copyright of the article Grilled Goat's Cheese Salad in Vegetarian Cuisine is owned by Jack Montgomery. Permission to republish Grilled Goat's Cheese Salad in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Goat's Cheese on Aubergine