The temperature here in Tenerife is high, somewhat unbearable at times
and while cooking this is very straightforward it was far from easy to
prepare; frying to create the salsa and boiling the water added even a
higher temperature to the warm air blasting in through the open window.
It's time to sit down with my guests with a glass of chilled white wine.
This is a variation of a recipe I was working on that suggested
grilling the goat cheese, but I tried a different approach by coating the
cheese in breadcrumbs and frying until golden.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
For the salsa:
250g dried linguine
1 lemon
75g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
25g mixed fresh herbs such as tarragon, chevil, parsley and dill
3 tbsp capers in brine, rinsed and drained
salt and black pepper
For the goat cheese:
200g goat cheese, rind removed and sliced
2 egg lightly beaten
125g dry breadcrumbs
1-2 tbsp olive oil
Ingredients tip: Pop the cheese into the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm it up so that it easier to slice.
Instructions:
1. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, according to packet instructions until el dente.
2. Pare strips of rind from the lemon and set aside, squeeze the juice into a small bowl and set aside also.
3. Melt the butter with the oil in a frying pan. Add the shallots and garlic and cook gently, stirring for three minutes. Stir in the herbs, capers and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Dredge each slice of goat cheese in the sequence of egg, breadcrumbs, egg and breadcrumbs again.
In a separate frying pan on a medium heat, fry the slices of goat cheese until golden. Flip and turn the cheese to make sure it is cooked on every side.
5. Place a sheet of kitchen roll on a plate and remove the fried cheese from the pan. Place the cheese slices on top of the covered plate to absorb any excess oil.
6. Drain the pasta lightly, so that it retains some moisture so that it does not dry out the salsa. Add the herb salsa and toss the ingredients together. Serve immediately, topped with the fried goat cheese and lemon rind.