Crispy Wonton & Goat Cheese Salad
Submitted by tman
Crispy wonton stack with herbed goat cheese, mixed greens, hearts of palm, and cherry tomatoes tossed in Dijon vinaigrette. Restaurant-style composed salad starter.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
5 minREADY
35 minA restaurant-style composed salad with serious presentation chops: crisp deep-fried wonton wrappers used as edible plates, sandwiching a layer of herbed goat cheese spread and a tangle of mixed greens. Hearts of palm and halved cherry tomatoes finish the plate, drizzled with a sharp Dijon vinaigrette.
Frying the wontons takes 15 seconds per side. Don’t walk away. They go from golden to burnt in another 10 seconds and there’s no recovery. Keep the corn oil at a steady 350°F (175°C) and lift each wonton out the moment it turns light tan; carryover heat will deepen the color as they drain.
The cheese spread benefits from full beating. Whip the goat cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream until completely smooth and fluffy before folding in the chives, parsley, and thyme. A grainy spread looks careless on the finished plate.
Build the stack tall: bottom wonton, cheese-side up, then a small mountain of dressed greens, then a second wonton cheese-side down. The greens spill out around the plate the way they’re meant to in a restaurant.
Pro Tips
- Drain the fried wontons on paper towels and use within 30 minutes. They lose crispness fast as they sit.
- The dressing is meant to be emulsified. Stream the olive oil into the running blender slowly to build a stable, thickened vinaigrette that won’t separate on the plate.
- Use four kinds of greens for color and texture contrast: red leaf for tenderness, Belgian endive for crunch, radicchio for bitterness, Boston for soft sweetness.
- Toss greens with dressing only at the very last moment. Pre-dressed greens wilt in minutes.
Variations
- Sub a creamy blue cheese or feta for goat cheese; both work and shift the salad’s character.
- Add thinly sliced toasted almonds or candied pecans for crunch and sweetness.
- Garnish with a few orange segments or thin pear slices when goat cheese needs a fruit counterpoint.
Ingredients
Directions
In a pan in hot corn oil, deep-fry the wonton skins, one at a time until crisp, about 15 seconds per side (do not allow oil to smoke).
Set aside.
In a bowl, thoroughly mix the goat cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, chives, parsley, thyme, garlic, and shallots.
Season to taste with the freshly ground pepper.
Set aside.
Dressing: In an electric blender, place the mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, and vinegar.
With blender running, slowly add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream until mixture is thickened to dressing consistency.
Set aside.
To prepare the lettuce: Separate the lettuce leaves; then tear each leaf into bite-size pieces.
In a large bowl, toss the lettuce and dressing, using just enough of dressing to evenly coat all the pieces.
Set aside.
Assembly of Salads: Spread over one side of each deep-fried wonton skin some of the goat cheese mixture.
On 4 plates, place a wonton, cheese- side up. Stack some of the lettuce pieces on the wonton.
Top with a second wonton, cheese-side down.
Some of the lettuce will spread out onto the plate.
Garnish each salad with heart of palm slices and cherry/yellow teardrop tomato halves drizzled with the remaining salad dressing.
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