Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

4 cups butter lettuce leaves
1 cup Toasted Spiced Almonds (recipe below)
1 cup Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe below)
8 Crispy Goat Cheese Medallions (recipe below)
8 radishes, thinly sliced

Spiced Almonds with Cumin and Nigella Seeds (makes 2 cups):
2 cups flaked or sliced almonds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon cumin seed
2 tablespoons nigella seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of chile flakes, optional

Red Wine Vinaigrette (makes 1 cup):
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 medium shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, gently crushed (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly minced tarragon, chives, parsley, mint (any or all, or other herbs of your choosing)
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Goat Cheese Heart Medallions (makes 8-10):
10 oz unflavored goat cheese, rolled into a log
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Olive oil or other oil for frying

INSTRUCTIONS

Spiced Almonds:

Preheat oven to 350F. Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and stir to coat almonds evenly. Pour onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread into a thin, even layer. Roast until golden brown, about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to ensure even toasting. Once they smell warm and toasty and all sides are richly golden brown, allow to cool until crisp. Use to top salads, soups, cottage cheese, or enjoy by the handful.

Red Wine Vinaigrette:

Add red wine vinegar, shallot and garlic to a bowl with a pinch of salt and allow to sit 10 minutes. Add sugar and Dijon and whisk to combine, then slowly whisk in oil to emulsify to desired consistency and flavor. Stir in fresh herbs just before serving. This vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Goat Cheese Heart Medallions:

Place goat cheese in the freezer 10 minutes to ensure it is cold and set before slicing into 1/2" rings. Use a small heart shaped cookie cutter to press out heart medallions, reforming any scraps into new discs and punching out additional hearts until all the cheese has been used.

Set up a breading station with flour, breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper in separate shallow dishes. Whisk eggs well with a teaspoon or two of water to loosen. Drop each heart of goat cheese first into flour, tossing gently to remove any excess before dropping into the egg wash. Use the other hand to remove the goat cheese from the egg and into the breadcrumbs, tossing and pressing on all sides to coat well. Set aside on a plate and complete the same process with remaining medallions.

When ready to fry, add oil to a shallow frying pan to create a shallow coating. Heat over medium high heat until water sprinkled into the pan sizzles and evaporates immediately. Add a few medallions at a time to the pan and allow to fry until deeply golden brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip and repeat until both sides are golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and season well with flaky salt. Repeat in batches until all medallions are cooked, not overcrowding the pan.

Assembly:

Arrange a neat nest of butter lettuce on each plate. Scatter with 2-4 tablespoons of flaked almonds and arrange a few radish slices all around before positioning 2 goat cheese hearts at the center. Drizzle with salad dressing to your desired taste and enjoy!