Bitter leaves, whipped goat’s cheese, Burren Balsamic vinegar

Bitter leaves, goat's cheese, Burren Balsamic blackberry and thyme vinegar. Photograph: Harry Weir
Serves: 4
Course: lunch
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Prep Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

  • 150g soft rindless goat's cheese
  • 150ml cream
  • Squeeze of lemon
  • 1 tsp honey
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 tbs rapeseed oil
  • 3 tbs Burren Balsamic blackberry and thyme balsamic vinegar
  • Mixed bitter leaves, such as frisée and radicchio
  • Fresh blackberries
  • 1 tbs toasted mixed seeds or pumpkin seeds (optional)

1 Put the goat’s cheese into a bowl or a stand mixer (I prefer to use an electric whisk).

2 Add the cream, lemon, honey and a little salt.

3 Start the mixer off slowly to amalgamate the cream, then turn up high to whisk into a mousse.

4 When the mixture is stiff but not over whipped, put in the fridge to chill.

5 Mix the rapeseed oil and balsamic vinegar together. Wash the lettuce and pat it dry.

6 When ready to serve, bring some water to a simmer in a small pot.

7 Take the biggest tablespoon you can find, I have an old-fashioned silver one for such purposes. Dip it in the water and pat it dry. Immediately scoop out the goat’s cheese cream on to a plate — the hot spoon will give you a lovely rounded surface. There is an art to this, so don’t worry if it takes a while to get right. The French call this a quenelle. Repeat the process for all the plates.

8 Divide the lettuce beside the mousse, drizzle the dressing over the top, then place the blackberries around the plate.

9 The seeds are nice to scatter on top for crunch, but if you don’t have them the salad will be lovely all the same.

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. He and his wife, Máire, run the Tannery restaurant and cookery school in Dungarvan, Co Waterford