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Asparagus Salad with Warm Goat Cheese and Champagne-Walnut Vinaigrette

"When I was trying to think of the perfect Mother’s Day brunch dish, I immediately thought, 'What would my mother want?' Besides love, affection and gratitude for all she does for my little family, I knew my mother would like one thing: a delicious salad. When I say she loves salad, I mean she really loves salad. Since it’s springtime I wanted my main ingredient to be something seasonal that you’d also be able to find fresh in almost any grocery store—so I chose asparagus. "

Caroline Campion Devil and Egg

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Vegetables

Appetizer

No-Cook

Ingredients

1 log goat cheese (about 11 ounces)		2 teaspoons honey
1 egg, lightly beaten		1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 cups (or more) panko crumbs (seasoned or unseasoned)		6 tablespoons walnut oil
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed (snap off the ends) and cleaned		Unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar		Vegetable oil
1 shallot, finely chopped		Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

directions

Prep: 30 min Total: 45 min

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1
Place goat cheese roll on cutting board next to a bowl containing the beaten egg and another shallow bowl or dish containing the panko crumbs. Slice goat cheese into 1/2-inch disks (a great trick to make a clean cut is to use dental floss, which is sort of like those wires they use in fancy cheese shops). You should have about 8 to 10 disks. Dip both sides of each disk into the egg, and then press both sides in panko crumbs. Transfer to plate. Once all cheese disks have been breaded, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 15 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
2
Fill a large pot with 2 inches of water and place over high heat. Place asparagus in a colander; when water begins to boil, set colander in pot (make sure the asparagus does not touch the water) and place a lid on top. Steam approximately five minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus stalks (do not overcook). (If you have a steamer basket, you can use that instead.) Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. When asparagus is bright green and tender (but not floppy!), remove from water and plunge into ice bath to stop cooking. Set aside.
3
Prepare dressing: Mix together vinegar, shallot, honey, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the walnut oil. Set aside.
4
Remove the goat cheese from the fridge. Heat a small frying pan over medium heat and add a large pat of butter and a slick of oil. When the butter has melted and the foam has subsided, swirl the pan to combine butter with the oil and add four cheese disks to the pan. Cook approximately 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Place on plate lined with paper towel (if you have extra disks, you can put them in the fridge and cook them the next day).
5
Plate the salad: Place 1/4 of the asparagus on plate. Place two warm goat cheese rounds alongside the spears. Drizzle everything with dressing. Enjoy.

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