Salad of Sweet Pickled Apple, Watercress and Deep-fried Goats’ Cheese in a Couscous Crust

Categories: Cheese, Starter

Ingredients

• 3 Granny Smith apples, each cored and sliced into eight wedges
• 75g watercress
• 2 x 100g Somerset goats' cheeses, sliced in half to make four rounds
• 50g couscous
• 120ml grapeseed oil
• 40g walnuts, coarsely crushed
• 10g plain flour
• 1 medium egg, beaten
• 25g butter
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 2 tbs cider vinegar
• 120ml dry cider
• olive oil
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
• salt
• black pepper, freshly milled

Directions

1. First, prepare the watercress oil. Place half the watercress, including the stalks, in a food processor, and reserve the remainder for the salad (seal the bag and refrigerate). Add the grapeseed oil and process until the watercress is finely chopped. Pour the mixture into a container, cover and leave to infuse overnight in the fridge.

2. Strain the infused oil through a muslin-lined or fine-meshed sieve, discard the residue collected in the sieve and keep the flavoured oil to dress the salad.

3. To prepare the goats’ cheese, start by placing the couscous in a shallow bowl and cover with boiling water, no higher than the level of the grains – make sure you don’t swamp the couscous. Leave to soak for a few minutes and then fluff up with a fork. Spread the grains out on a baking sheet and leave to dry in a warm place for about 20 minutes – they shouldn’t be dried out. Season, then mix in the crushed walnuts.

4. Tip a little flour on to a plate and place the beaten egg into a small, shallow bowl. Roll each slice of goats’ cheese in the flour, then dip into the egg and finally roll thoroughly in the couscous mixture. Make sure that all sides are well covered; you might find it necessary to pat on extra crust to cover any gaps. Wrap each one tightly in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least an hour. (This step could be done the day before.)

5. Melt the butter in a large, non-stick pan over a gentle heat. Add the apples and coat with butter. Turn up the heat, sprinkle the apples with the sugar and caramelise. Add the vinegar, gently stir (without breaking the apple slices) and evaporate.

6. Next, add the cider and bubble for one minute. Remove from the heat. Carefully remove the apple, with the juices, from the pan and keep warm to one side.

7. In a medium-sized pan, heat some olive oil – about 1cm deep – and fry the goats’ cheese. Do not move them about, and turn them only once. They are ready when the couscous grains are lightly flecked golden brown – you should be able to smell the cheese.

8. To serve, set out four dinner plates and assemble a small pile of watercress and apple slices in the centre of each. Pour over the apple and cider juices, and top with a couscous-crusted goats’ cheese. Using a teaspoon, drizzle some watercress oil around each plate, and finally add a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

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