Preparation / Directions:
Make the dressing about two hours before you plan to serve.
Mix the shallot, mustard, thyme and vinegar together in a small container until they're well combined. Slowly, perhaps a teaspoonful at a time, add the oil, stirring constantly. Continue until you've used all the oil and the dressing has emulsified slightly.
Take a leaf of lettuce, dip it in the dressing and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Correct also at this time to your preference for either more oil or vinegar. Cover the dressing and reserve at room temperature until you prepare the salad.
For the Salad:
2 oz. pancetta, cut into 1/2 in. dice. Approximately 1/2 Lb. mixed baby lettuces (about 8 reasonable handfuls). 2 - 3 oz. goat cheese.
Heat a small saut‚ pan over medium low heat. Don't add any fat to the pan. When the pan is hot, add the pancetta and shake the pan to distribute the pancetta evenly on the surface. If the pancetta does a lot of sizzling when you put it in the pan, lower the heat to a point just above your low setting, and stir constantly until the pan settles down.
Cook the pancetta until it browns slightly and becomes barely crisp -- about ten minutes on my stove. When it's done, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve the fat left in the pan.
Place the lettuces in a large bowl. If you like, add the fat from the pancetta to the dressing, stir well and pour over the lettuces. If you choose not to use the fat, simply give the dressing a stir and pour over the lettuces. Toss well to coat each leaf.
Divide the lettuces evenly among four chilled salad plates. Crumble the goat cheese over each salad, then sprinkle some of the pancetta cracklings over each plate.
The whole world has gone nuts for Mesclun, and yuppie grocery stores have been Johnny-on-the-spot, selling it at a price comparable to the GNP of a small Mediterranean country. Still, mixed baby lettuces make a lovely looking salad. Italians, and particularly Tuscans, have been making salads with baby lettuce for longer than I know about.
The goat cheese in this recipe gives a little bite to the smoothness of the balsamic vinegar in the dressing, and the pancetta gives some crunch to make this dish come together in an amazing combination of taste and texture. If you have any croutons lying around the kitchen, you could sprinkle a few on each salad for a different kind of crunch as well.
The English name for this dish is Mixed Green Salad with Goat Cheese and
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