Marinated Goats Cheese and Asparagus Salad with Pomegranate
With Martin Bosley
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
300g Soft goats cheese
3 sprigs of thyme
8 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 cup Extra virgin olive oil
1 Pomegranate or 1 tub of seeds
2 bunches of Asparagus
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Cut the cheese into even sized pieces, depending on the shape of your cheese and place into a shallow dish. Strip the leaves from the thyme sprigs and sprinkle over the top of the cheese. Lightly crush the peppercorns and along with the bay leaves, scatter over the cheese then pour in the olive oil. Leave in a cool place it does not have to be refrigerated (in fact, its better if it isnt) for at least 6 hours. Turn the cheese at least once while it sits. Prepare the pomegranate by first removing the crown, or top, cutting far enough down to expose the white. Score the skin from top to bottom in quarters then place into a bowl of cold water for thirty minutes. Lift the fruit from the water, pull the quarters apart and remove the jewel-like seeds to a bowl. While the pomegranates soak bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the asparagus for 3-4 minutes. Drain, place the hot asparagus in a bowl and set to one side. Pour the oil from the cheese into a mixing bowl and whisk in the red wine vinegar, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. Add the cheese to the asparagus and gently toss together. Divide between serving plates, scatter the pomegranate seeds with any juices that may have collected across the top and spoon over the dressing.
(TX: 5 December 2011)
