Poached Pear & Crispy Goat Cheese Salad with Escarole & Walnuts

Poached Pear & Crispy Goat Cheese Salad

with Escarole & Walnuts

25 MIN
2 Servings
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From the Test Kitchen

With its sweet flavor and crisp, juicy texture, Anjou pear makes an ideal partner for tangy, soft goat cheese. With this recipe, we’re taking things up a notch by coating slices of goat cheese with airy panko breadcrumbs, then pan-frying them to crunchy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside perfection. Poaching the pear in a liquid of verjus (a tart grape juice), honey and spices imparts rich, delicious flavor. Over a bed of escarole, the goat cheese and pear are perfectly complemented by walnuts, fresh tarragon and mustard vinaigrette.

Get Cooking
  • Nutrition
    PER SERVING
  • Calories
    700 Cals (est.)
fresh
ingredients
Poached Pear & Crispy Goat Cheese Salad with Escarole & Walnuts
Title
  • 1 Farm Egg
  • 4 oz Goat Cheese
  • 1 Anjou Pear
  • 8 oz Escarole
  • 1 bunch Tarragon
  • 2 Tbsps All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 Tbsps Honey
  • 1 Tbsp Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
  • ½ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup Walnuts
  • ¼ cup Verjus Blanc
  • ½ tsp Whole Juniper Berries
  • ½ tsp Whole Yellow Mustard Seeds
time-saving
tips & techniques
Honey
step-by-step
instructions
Cook Along Triangle Created with Sketch.
Prepare the ingredients:
1 Prepare the ingredients:

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel the pear and halve lengthwise; remove and discard the stem and seeds. Crack the egg into a medium bowl; beat until smooth. Slice the cheese crosswise into 6 equal-sized pieces. Trim off and discard the root end of the escarole; roughly chop the leaves. Pick the tarragon leaves off the stems; reserve the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Roughly chop the walnuts.

Poach the pear:
2 Poach the pear:

In a small pot, combine the pear, verjus, honey, juniper berries, mustard seeds, tarragon stems and 1¼ cups of water; heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 16 to 18 minutes, or until the pear is tender when pierced with a knife. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the poached pear to a cutting board; reserve the poaching liquid (carefully discarding the juniper berries and tarragon stems). When cool enough to handle, thinly slice the poached pear.

Coat the cheese:
3 Coat the cheese:

While the pear poaches, place the flour and breadcrumbs into 2 separate bowls; season each with salt and pepper. Working 1 at a time, thoroughly coat each piece of cheese in the seasoned flour (tapping off any excess), then the beaten egg (letting the excess drip off), then the seasoned breadcrumbs (pressing to adhere). Transfer to a plate.

Crisp the cheese:
4 Crisp the cheese:

While the pear continues to poach, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a thin layer of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the coated cheese in a single layer. Cook 1 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy. Carefully transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

Make the vinaigrette:
5 Make the vinaigrette:

While the cheese crisps, in a small bowl, combine the mustard and 2 tablespoons of the reserved poaching liquid (discarding the rest); season with salt and pepper to taste. Slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until thoroughly combined.

Make the salad & plate your dish:
6 Make the salad & plate your dish:

In a large bowl, combine the escarole and all but a pinch of both the tarragon leaves and walnuts. Add enough of the vinaigrette to coat the salad (you may have extra vinaigrette); toss to mix and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the salad, sliced pear and crispy cheese between 2 dishes. Garnish with the remaining tarragon leaves and walnuts. Enjoy!

Tips from Home Chefs

Poached Pear & Crispy Goat Cheese Salad

Prepare the ingredients:
1 Prepare the ingredients:

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel the pear and halve lengthwise; remove and discard the stem and seeds. Crack the egg into a medium bowl; beat until smooth. Slice the cheese crosswise into 6 equal-sized pieces. Trim off and discard the root end of the escarole; roughly chop the leaves. Pick the tarragon leaves off the stems; reserve the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Roughly chop the walnuts.

2 Poach the pear:

In a small pot, combine the pear, verjus, honey, juniper berries, mustard seeds, tarragon stems and 1¼ cups of water; heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 16 to 18 minutes, or until the pear is tender when pierced with a knife. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the poached pear to a cutting board; reserve the poaching liquid (carefully discarding the juniper berries and tarragon stems). When cool enough to handle, thinly slice the poached pear.

Poach the pear:
Coat the cheese:
3 Coat the cheese:

While the pear poaches, place the flour and breadcrumbs into 2 separate bowls; season each with salt and pepper. Working 1 at a time, thoroughly coat each piece of cheese in the seasoned flour (tapping off any excess), then the beaten egg (letting the excess drip off), then the seasoned breadcrumbs (pressing to adhere). Transfer to a plate.

4 Crisp the cheese:

While the pear continues to poach, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a thin layer of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the coated cheese in a single layer. Cook 1 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy. Carefully transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

Crisp the cheese:
Make the vinaigrette:
French Wire Whisk
5 Make the vinaigrette:

While the cheese crisps, in a small bowl, combine the mustard and 2 tablespoons of the reserved poaching liquid (discarding the rest); season with salt and pepper to taste. Slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until thoroughly combined.

6 Make the salad & plate your dish:

In a large bowl, combine the escarole and all but a pinch of both the tarragon leaves and walnuts. Add enough of the vinaigrette to coat the salad (you may have extra vinaigrette); toss to mix and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the salad, sliced pear and crispy cheese between 2 dishes. Garnish with the remaining tarragon leaves and walnuts. Enjoy!

Make the salad & plate your dish:
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