Smoky Fig and Fried Cheese Salad

Ingredients

• ---FOR THE CROUTONS---
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup panko
• 200 g aged provolone, fridge-cold and cut into 1-inch cubes
• Neutral oil, for shallow frying (such as grapseed or sunflower)
• ---FOR THE SALAD---
• 6-8 fresh figs, halved
• 1 small head radicchio, torn
• 1 cup other mixed greens (frisee, baby kale, watercress or whatever you like)
• 1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• ---FOR THE DRESSING---
• Zest and juice of 1/2 orange
• Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 1/2 teaspoon runny honey
• 1 teaspoon grainy Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. We’ll start with the cheesy croutons. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set a wire rack over top; this will be your landing zone for the fried cheese to keep it crisp. Set up a dredging station with three shallow bowls: one with flour, one with beaten egg, and one with panko. Working with cold cheese, coat each cube first in flour, then egg, then panko, pressing gently so the crumbs stick. Set them on a plate or tray while you heat the oil.
2. In a skillet, heat a shallow layer of oil over medium-high heat. Fry the cheese cubes in batches until golden brown and crisp on all sides, about 1–2 minutes total. As they come out of the oil, transfer them to the prepared rack and hit them with a pinch of salt while they’re still hot.
3. Meanwhile, grill the figs cut-side down on a hot grill or grill pan for 1–2 minutes, just until lightly charred and juicy.
4. To make the dressing, whisk together the orange zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, honey, mustard, and olive oil until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Toss the radicchio and greens with most of the dressing and arrange on a platter. Nestle in the grilled figs and scatter the hazelnuts over the top. Just before serving, add the warm fried provolone croutons and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Enjoy!