Frisée Salad with Baked Goat Cheese and Bacon

• Recipe by Christophe Gerard

A hot disk of tangy goat cheese set on a tangle of frisée is one of the glories of the bistro kitchen. So is a salad of vinegary greens tossed with rich cubes of bacon. At Angèle in Napa, Christophe Gerard marries the two classics in one unforgettable dish.

Ingredients

1. 3 ounces thickly sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
2. 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3. 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
4. 2 tablespoons walnut oil
5. 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
6. Salt and freshly ground pepper
7. 4 slices of country bread
8. 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened
9. Two 3 1/2-ounce round goat cheeses, such as Crottin de Chavignol, halved horizontally
10. 1/2 pound frisée lettuce (8 cups)
11. 1/4 cup minced chives

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a skillet, fry the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, 6 minutes. Pour off the fat. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the bacon and cook until evaporated. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk the grapeseed oil with the remaining 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, the walnut oil and mustard and season with salt and pepper. 
3. On a baking sheet, spread the bread with the butter. Bake for 6 minutes, or until golden. Top each toast with a cheese half. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until the cheese is warmed and soft. 
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the frisée, bacon, chives and vinaigrette. Mound the salad on plates and set a goat cheese toast alongside. Grind some pepper over the cheese and serve.