Recipe

Pecan Crusted Mozzarella With Baby Greens

Ingredients

2 cups pecan pieces, toasted
1 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
Essence to taste
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into eight 1/4-inch-thick slices
Salt and freshly ground white and black peppercorns to taste
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-size yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 medium-size red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
8 cups mixed baby greens, cleaned or fresh spinach, well washed and tough stems removed, and torn into small pieces

In a food processor, finely chop the pecans. Add about 1/2 cup of the flour, or enough to bind the pecans and form a coarse meal. Season with Essence.
In a shallow bowl, season the remaining flour with Essence.
Season both sides of the cheese slices with salt and white and black peppers. Dredge each slice in the flour, tapping off any excess, then dip each slice in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off; dredge the slices in the pecan meal to coat both sides. Set aside.
In a medium-size saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until they caramelize, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the olive oil, the vinegar, and the honey and season with salt and black pepper. Remove from the heat.
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Pan-fry the cheese until the crust is golden, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Season with Essence.
Toss the spinach with the honey-onion dressing and season with salt and pepper. To serve, divide the greens into 4 equal portions and put in the center of 4 salad plates. Arrange 2 slices of cheese around the greens on each plate.