Maple Roasted Pear Pizza with Pistachio Olive Oil, Caramelized Shallots, Crispy Prosciutto, + Crumbled Goat Cheese

Sweet + Salty is mah jam. I'm the weirdo that likes dipping french fries in a chocolate milkshake... adding salt to my lattes, pouring maple syrup on my bacon, and so on + so on. Last year, we went to our favorite pizza place, Hearth, and my dreams were made. Their pizza special that night was a pear pizza. What? PEAR ON A PIZZA.... that's genius! I knew then and there that I would have to recreate this masterpiece. I ending up changing most of the toppings to include my favorite ingredients, and you know what, I thought ours was even better. First, I started off by making a chunky pistachio olive oil by using a molcajete + pestle to pulverize the nuts into the oil. This serves as the base for your pizza. Next up is one of my go-to recipes as of lately... crispy prosciutto. If you don't have prosciutto on you though, you can always sub in some bacon... because... um, bacon is good on everything. It's also a personal belief that every single pizza should have caramelized onions, so I added lots of those too. Then there is the usual of fresh mozzarella and grated parmesan cheese, and for good measure, some tangy crumbled goat cheese (yum). The single most important ingredient has to be the bosc pear, which I shaved using a mandolin. Gently arrange the shaved pear on top of the pizza and brush a light coating of maple syrup over the fruit. The maple syrup not only sweetens the whole pie just a little bit, but helps the pears to beautifully caramelize in the oven. Lastly, you have to season the pizza with fresh thyme (an absolute must), crushed red pepper flake (for a slight kick), and a small sprinkle of kosher salt + fresh cracked pepper. After you have baked the pizza, all that there is left to do is to cut it into slices and devour it while it's still warm. We also loved putting some peppery baby arugula on top for garnish, but that step is completely up to you! I hope you love this ultimate autumn pizza as much as we do!! Enjoy :)

pre-baked pizza

this is what heaven looks like.

For the Pistachio Olive Oil:

1C Shelled Pistachios (can be unsalted or salted)

EVOO (enough to cover the pistachios)

For the Crispy Prosciutto:

6oz Shaved Prosciutto

4 Sprigs of Rosemary or 8 Leaves of Sage

EVOO, For Drizzling

Fresh Cracked Pepper, For Sprinkling

For the Maple Roasted Pear Pizza:

1 Batch of Homemade Extra Crispy Pizza Dough (made into two dough balls)

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

Prepared Pistachio Olive Oil

Caramelized Shallots

8oz Fresh Mozzarella, Shredded by Hand

Freshly Grated Parmesan

Prepared Crispy Prosciutto

1 Bosc Pear, Thinly Shaved Using a Mandolin

High Quality Maple Syrup, For Brushing

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, To Taste

Minced Fresh Thyme, To Taste

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, For Sprinkling

2oz Crumbled Goat Cheese

Fresh Baby Arugula, For Garnishing (optional)

Directions:

1. For the Extra-Crusting Pizza Dough: Whisk flour, salt, and yeast in a medium bowl. While stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually add 1.5 cups water; stir until well incorporated. Mix dough gently with your hands to bring it together and form into a rough ball. Transfer to a large clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise at room temperature in a draft-free area until surface is covered with tiny bubbles and dough has more than doubled in size, preferably 18 hours (but anywhere between 12-18 hours would work as well). Transfer dough to a floured work surface. Gently shape into a rough rectangle. Divide into 2 equal portions (depending on thin or thick you want your pizza dough). Working with 1 portion at a time, gather 4 corners to center to create 4 folds. Turn seam side down and mold gently into a ball. Dust dough with flour; set aside on work surface or a floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining portions. Let the dough balls rest, covered with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, until soft and pliable, about 1 hour.

2. Prepping the Dough: During the last hour of the dough’s resting, preheat the oven to its hottest setting, around 500-550 degrees, and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Working with the dough, dust it generously with flour and place onto a floured work surface. Gently shape the dough balls into a two 10-inch disks. Press or spread the dough dish on top of a baking sheet or pizza stone. Now it’s time to add on the toppings.

3. For the Pistachio Olive Oil: In the bowl of a Molcajete, add in all of the shelled pistachios, and the pour in enough olive oil to just cover the pistachios. Using the pestle, crush the pistachios until they are rough and chunky in texture, and not smashed into a powder. Stir the crushed pistachios with the olive oil to make a cohesive mixture. Set this aside.

4. For the Crispy Prosciutto: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the prosciutto evenly between both baking sheets, making sure to lay them flat. Brush the tops of the prosciutto with some EVOO and scatter the fresh sprigs of rosemary or sage on top. Bake the prosciutto until the fat turns golden and the meat is darker in color. This will take about 15 minutes (making sure to rotate baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through the baking time). Using tongs, carefully transfer the prosciutto to paper towels to drain (it will continue tot crisp as it cools). Set them aside until you are ready to assemble the pizza.

5. Assembling the Pizza: Get your two prepped pizza dough disks on baking sheets and press two cloves of minced garlic into each dough round. Place the pizzas into the preheated oven and bake for 7-9 minutes. Remove from the oven and begin assembling the toppings. Start by spooning and spreading the pistachio olive oil, followed by scattering the caramelized shallots evenly over the pizza dough. Next add on the shredded mozzarella, freshly great Parmesan, crispy prosciutto, and shaved pears. Brush the tops of sliced pears with some maple syrup, and then sprinkle the surface of the pizza with crushed red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Lastly, crumble the goat cheese on top to finish off the pizza. Boost the oven up to broil and place them back into the oven for about 3-5 minutes until the cheese has melted, the pears have begun to crisp around the edges, and the crust has a toasty golden brown color (make sure to rotate the pizza pans, so they evenly cook).

6. Remove the pizza from the oven and cut into slices. Garnish the pizza with fresh baby arugula on top, if you please! Enjoy!

Farmer's Market Finds: The Best Damn Deviled Egg Salad Sandwich with Crispy Prosciutto, Peppery Arugula, Soft Herbs, + Sriracha Powder on Buttered White Bread

As long as I can remember, I have never liked deviled eggs or egg salad sandwiches. However, that was all changed when we went to our favorite restaurant, JCT Kitchen, and we ordered some of their famous deviled eggs with country ham. I've made and posted their recipe here (with my own little twist) and they were fab. So I thought, why not turn them into a deviled egg sandwich? Now to make this sandwich even better, I used my favorite items that I found at our local farmer's market. This baby arugula is to die for... if you're in the local Atlanta area, stop by the Peachtree Road Farmer's Market and buy some of this arugula from Abundant Harvest Gardens. We normally have to buy two bags every Saturday, one to cook with and one to snack on during the ride home. I don't think I can adequately describe the flavor of these greens. It is nothing like the arugula you buy at the grocery store that is sorta peppery... this shit is straight up wasabi. I literally can't rave about it enough. I'm also in love with this bread. It's from another vendor at the farmer's market, TGM Bread. But anyway, back to this sandwich... you start by boiling a dozen of eggs until they are just cooked through. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together the yellow egg yolks, homemade mayo or aioli, softened goat cheese, minced cornichons + shallots, dijon mustard, white balsamic reduction, and a whole mess of fresh herbs (chives, tarragon, basil, and parsley to be exact). Then all you have to do is fold in the diced up egg whites and season with salt + pepper. The one component left, that really takes this recipe over the top, is the crispy prosciutto. I've had all different kinds of egg salad sandwiches, most of them had bacon them, and it just didn't taste quite right. I love the flavor of the country ham/prosciutto on JCT's deviled eggs, so I thought that would be perfect on a sandwich. But, one thing that had to be changed was the texture. This was easily solved by baking some prosciutto until the fat rendered and began to crisp up. Essentially, because it is so thinly sliced, the meat practically melts on your tongue, so that you have delicious-porky-goodness with each bite. All that you have to do is assemble the sandwiches. Get your gorgeous loaf of white bread and fry it in some butter until golden brown + toasted. Next, you slather on a thick heap of that herbed egg salad, followed by a sprinkling of homemade sriracha powder. Finally, you just lay on some slices of that crispy prosciutto and a mound of those spicy arugula greens. The only thing left to do is to devour it. And trust me, that is the easiest and yummiest part of the recipe! Enjoy :)

For the Crispy Prosciutto:

6oz Thinly Sliced Prosciutto

EVOO, For Brushing

3-4 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary

Fresh Cracked Pepper

For the Herbed Egg Salad:

12 Extra Large Eggs

¼C + 1T Homemade Aioli

3 Cornichons, Finely Minced

1 Small Shallot, Minced

2T Goat Cheese, Room Temperature

2t Dijon Mustard

1T White Balsamic Reduction (honey may be substituted if needed)

2T Fresh Chives, Snipped

1T Fresh Tarragon, Minced

2t Fresh Basil, Minced

1t Fresh Parsley, Minced

Kosher + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

For the Deviled Egg Salad Sandwiches:

Prepared Crispy Prosciutto Slices

Prepared Herbed Egg Salad

Fresh Baby Arugula

Homemade Sriracha Powder, For Sprinkling

Buttered, Toasted Slices of White Bread

Directions:

1. For the Crispy Prosciutto: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the prosciutto evenly between both baking sheets, making sure to lay them flat. Brush the tops of the prosciutto with some EVOO and scatter the fresh sprigs of rosemary on top. Bake the prosciutto until the fat turns golden and the meat is darker in color. This will take about 15 minutes (making sure to rotate baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through the baking time). Using tongs, carefully transfer the prosciutto to paper towels to drain (it will continue tot crisp as it cools). Set them aside until you are ready to assemble the sandwich. 

2. For the Herbed Egg Salad: In a large pot, cover the eggs with cold water and bring them to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 10-12 minutes. Transfer the eggs to an ice water bath until chilled, about 5-10 minutes. In the bowl of a standing mixer that is fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the aioli, minced cornichons, goat cheese, Dijon mustard, white balsamic reduction, and minced shallots. Peel the eggs and slice them in half, and then scoop out the yellow egg yolk. On a cutting board, dice up the egg whites into bite size pieces and set them aside. Add the yolks to the bowl of aioli; beat this mixture until it is light and fluffy. Gently fold in the diced egg whites and herbs into the whipped egg yolk-aioli mixture. Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the egg salad in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble your sandwich.

3. Assembling the Sandwiches: In a small sauté pan, toast your bread in a little bit of butter until it is golden brown. Remove the bread from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. Top one slice of the bread with the herbed egg salad, a sprinkle of Sriracha powder, a few strips of crispy prosciutto, and a pile of fresh baby arugula, followed by the other slice of bread. Enjoy while the arugula is still crisp!

Summer Strawberry Pizza with Sauteed Ramps, Crumbled Gorgonzola, Shaved Speck, Baby Arugula, + a Balsamic Reduction Drizzle on Multigrain Pizza Dough

Every time Summer starts to creep around, I begin to crave a rustic pizza with fruit as the star ingredient. It might sound delicious to some of y'all... and it might sound absolutely-down-right-disgusting to the rest. But bless your heart, you couldn't be more wrong. Just take my word for it. This pizza came about on a Saturday at our local farmer's market. Don't you love when dishes just come together so spontaneously? We saw  lusciously ripe, ruby red strawberries and some perfectly pungent (yet still mild) wild ramps and I thought, well heck, let's marry those two flavors. I am on a real ramp kick lately. I can't find them at grocery stores in our hood, but at the edge of Spring, you can find them by the barrel, freshly pulled out of the ground by your friendly local farmer. They are the loveliest combination of a leek, green onion, shallot, and garlic. And when they are sauteed, they just mellow out a bit and give any extremely rich recipe a itty bitty kick. So, I spread a thin pesto-like sauteed ramp base on the pizza dough before I loaded it up with a bunch of different cheeses. I crumbled the ever-so-sticky gorgonzola cheese on top for an extra pop of flavor. It perfectly paired with the sweet strawberries. UM YUM. The pizza is finished with shaved Speck, which we prefer to Prosciutto, if you get in a pickle, just use that instead... no biggie. Baby arugula is scattered across the top for its' peppery bite, and anyway, it goes amazingly with strawberries and gorgonzola. And no fruity pizza would be complete without a drizzle of syrupy balsamic reduction. It just wouldn't. So take our word for it, this is something that can't be missed during these hot summer months. I guarantee it!! Enjoy :)

For the Strawberry Pizza:

1 Ball of Multigrain Pizza Dough (regular or whole wheat dough can be substituted)

1 Small Bunch of Ramps, Chopped

2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

8oz Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella (sliced, torn into small pieces, or shredded)

4-8oz of Ripe Strawberries, Thinly Sliced

¼C Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese

¼t Dried Red Pepper Flakes

4oz Shaved Prosciutto (we actually used Speck just because we prefer it over prosciutto)

2T Fresh Basil, Minced

Homemade Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

1-2 Handfuls of Baby Arugula, For Garnishing
Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to its hottest setting, around 500-550 degrees, and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Let your pizza stone heat up in the oven for at least 30-45 minutes.

2. For the Sautéed Ramps: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in olive oil, red pepper flakes, and chopped ramps. Sauté until they become fragrant and translucent, but still slightly crunchy and sharp. This usually 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set them aside to cool before you spread them on the pizza dough.

3. For the Strawberry Pizza: Create a 12inch round of dough on a semolina dusted pizza peel and spread the sautéed ramps over the top. Place the torn fresh mozzarella evenly across the dough, and then add on the sliced strawberries, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, some red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Slide the pizza onto the heated pizza stone and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted and begun to caramelize. Remove it from the oven and immediately lay small piles of the thin slices of speck (or prosciutto) over the hot pizza. Just before serving, scatter the baby arugula on top, followed by a drizzle of balsamic reduction.

4. Cut into slices and serve immediately!

Spiced Tahini Roasted Rainbow Carrot Salad with Whipped Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese, Baby Arugula, Shaved Shallots, Toasted Walnuts, Fresh Cilantro, + a Spicy Blood Orange Gastrique

Spring has sprung, y'all! Let's all join in for a collective rejoice because that officially mean Farmer's Market season is back in full swing, and with that, it means fresh produce is at its' peak! My Mountain Man and I recently went to one of our favorite restaurants and we ordered a roasted carrot salad with goat cheese, arugula, + a citrus vinaigrette. We loved the combination of flavors, so I took the idea and ran with it. It just so happens that I spotted some baby heirloom rainbow carrots (try and say that whole spiel five times fast) and I instantly connected them with the inspiration burning in my belly to recreate this salad. It happens to still be citrus season down south, so I knew that I wanted to make a blood orange gastrique to drizzle over the top. Not only does this add a beautiful, deep scarlet color, but a beautiful acidic note to the entire dish. Oh, and it's got a nice spicy kick that will leave your mouth with slight tingling. After looking through my go-to cookbook, The Flavor Bible, and it suggests to pair carrots with cumin, other earthy spices, nuts, and citrus. I first made a "marinade" of tahini, olive oil, maple syrup, cumin, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, + turmeric. The baby carrots are tossed + coated in this marinade mixture before being roasted in the over until they are golden brown and just slightly charred. And make sure to allow them to cool to room temperature before you begin assembling the salad, so the whipped goat cheese doesn't melt + the baby arugula doesn't wilt due to the heat. Now I want to make sure that you guys use baby arugula because the peppery note from these greens is so perfect, it doesn't miss a beat. I also added in some shaved shallots for a bit of a bite and some toasted walnuts for some texture. Obviously, I am a complete lush when it comes to goat cheese, especially when it is whipped and flavored with roasted garlic + honey, but you could easily make whipped feta as the base of your salad if you prefer that instead. After the salad is tediously layered and beautified, I sprinkle some fresh minced cilantro to round out all of the flavors. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and in this case, it is completely and utterly true. I cannot think of another dish that would be more enjoyable on a gorgeous springtime afternoon than this salad. So that only means that... you just gotta make it!! Enjoy :)

For the Spicy Blood Orange Gastrique:

1C Freshly Squeezed Blood Orange Juice

1 Blood Orange, Zested

3T Sugar

3T Red Wine Vinegar

2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme

1T Light Corn Syrup

1t Dried Red Pepper Flakes

Pinch of Salt

For the Whipped Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese:

A Head of Roasted Garlic Cloves, Cooled

4oz Softened Cream Cheese

½C Heavy Cream

10z Honey Goat Cheese

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Spiced Tahini Roasted Rainbow Carrots:

1 ½-2lbs Baby Rainbow Carrots (keep the stems on, but trimmed short)

4T Roasted Tahini

2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3T Maple Syrup

2t Cumin

½t Cardamom, Coriander, Cinnamon, + Turmeric

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper (we used a good pinch of salt to balance the sweetness)

For the Roasted Rainbow Carrot Salad:

Prepared Whipped Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese, Chilled

Baby Arugula (do not substitute any other greens, you need the peppery notes)

Spiced Tahini Roasted Rainbow Carrots, Room Temperature

1 Small Shallot, Thinly Shaved

1 Big Handful of Walnuts, Toasted + Roughly Chopped

Prepared Spicy Blood Orange Gastrique, Chilled

Fresh Cilantro, Minced (for garnishing)

Fleur de Sel + Fresh Cracked Pepper, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. For the Spicy Blood Orange Gastrique: In a small pot, pour in the blood orange juice and add in the blood orange zest, sugar, red wine vinegar, a generous pinch of salt, and sprigs of fresh thyme. Bring this liquid to a hard boil, and then reduce it to a simmer. Allow this mixture to reduce in half, about 5-10 minutes. Once it has reduced down, remove the sprigs of thyme and whisk in the light corn syrup. Bring to a boil once more and allow it to thicken to a nice, smooth syrup. We reduced ours to about a little more than ¼C. Whisk in the dried red pepper flakes and chill the gastrique in the refrigerator until it has completely cooled.

2. For the Whipped Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the softened cream cheese, roasted garlic cloves, and salt until thoroughly mixed. Scrape down the sides and turn the mixer to medium-high speed and add in ¼C heavy cream. Continue whipping, while continuously adding a little bit of crumbled honey goat cheese at a time, until the goat cheese is combined throughout. Add in the remaining ¼C heavy cream and beat on high until it is light & fluffy. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Place in the refrigerator to chill slightly.

3. For the Spiced Tahini Roasted Rainbow Carrots: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with some Pam. Set it aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the roasted tahini, olive oil, maple syrup, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, Turmeric, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. The mixture will be pretty thick, but that’s okay, it will help to thickly coat the baby carrots. Toss the carrots in the tahini using your hands until they are completely covered. Lay them out in a single layer on the prepared pan and roast for 25 minutes. Boost your oven up to broil and allow them to reach a gorgeous golden brown color with a slight char (just keep an eye on them, you don’t want them to burn). Remove the roasted carrots from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature before assembling the salad.

4. For the Roasted Carrot Salad: On a pretty dinner plate, spoon a blanket of the whipped roasted garlic goat cheese on the bottom, and then mound a handful of baby arugula on top of the cheese. Now stack the spiced tahini roasted carrots on top of the greens (almost log cabin style), followed by some of the shaved shallots, and a scattering of the toasted walnuts. Drizzle the entire dish with some of the spicy blood orange gastrique, as well as a sprinkle of minced cilantro, fleur de sel and fresh cracked pepper. Serve immediately! 

Date Night: Steakhouse Salad with Seared Filet Mignon on Mixed Heirloom Greens Tossed in a Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette with Candied Pecans, Dried Cherries, Sliced Apples, Apple Chips, Crumbled Bleu Cheese, & Crispy Shallots, Drizzled with a Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel

Steakhouse Salad with Seared Filet Mignon on Mixed Heirloom Greens Tossed in a Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette with Candied Pecans, Dried Cherries, Sliced Apples, Apple Chips, Crumbled Bleu Cheese, & Crispy Shallots, Drizzled with a Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel 

It's been a long, long, longgggggg time since I have last posted a Date Night recipe. And this meal will surely make up for the lost time! As many of you know, I am an avid lover of all salads, my Mountain Man, on the other hand, doesn't get that yearning for a big ole' pile of frilly greens like I do. But, his mind can quickly be changed when a hearty steak is added into the mix. Oh, and crispy fried shallots don't hurt it either. This bad boy of a salad is loaded with a bunch of yummy ingredients... sweet dried cherries, fresh apple slices, crunchy apple chips, crumbled bleu cheese, & candied pecans. The base of it all is a mix between heirloom greens, frisee lettuce, and baby arugula. Then, they are all tossed in my go-to Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette, which perfectly complements the other components of the dish. I like all of the balance of these different greens put together for a lot of variety and then the acidic-sweet dress that is dressed in. Now, here's where it all comes up to you... We love our filet mignons to be crusted in fancy fleur de sel and coarsely ground peppercorns. It is super hearty and extremely flavorful. But, most importantly, we prefer our steaks to be cooked to a bright red medium rare. It has such a deep, complex meatiness that way and it literally just melts into your mouth. But, I know that not everyone feels the same way we do, so please cook your meat according to your preferences. After every thing has been assembled, you have to garnish it off with a heapin' mouthful of crispy shallots. Life don't get much betta than this, y'all!! Enjoy :)

Beautifully Cooked Filet Mignon + Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel Drizzle

Crispy. Shallots. Are. My. Life.

Dried Cherries, Crumbled Bleu Cheese, Crispy Shallots, Apple Chips,  & Apple Slices

For the Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel:

½C Red Wine

1C Balsamic Vinegar

1T Dark Brown Sugar

For the Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette:

2T Olive Oil

2T Apple Cider Vinegar

4T Maple Syrup

2t Dijon Mustard

2T Grainy Mustard

2t Garlic, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Candied Pecans:

1 ½C Pecans, Toasted

½C Sugar

Pinch of Salt, Cinnamon, & Cayenne (or to your taste, I did a large pinch)

For the Crispy Shallots:

4 Large Shallots, Thinly Sliced

½C Buttermilk + 2T Hot Sauce

AP Flour, For Coating

Vegetable Oil, For Frying

For the Steakhouse Salad:

Mixed Heirloom Greens, Frisee Lettuce, & Baby Arugula (or your favorite salad greens)

Prepared Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette, For Dressing the Salad

Prepared Candied Pecans, Roughly Chopped

1-2C Dried Cherries

1 Fuji Apple, Thinly Sliced

Apple Chips

Crumbled Bleu Cheese

½C Red Onion, Finely Minced

2T Freshly Parsley, Minced

Seared Filet Mignon, Cooked to your Preference & Sliced

Prepared Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel, For Drizzling

Crispy Shallots, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For the Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel: Place red wine in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Add the balsamic vinegar and boil until the vinegar has reduced to about ¼ cup and is very syrupy and big shiny bubbles are forming at the surface. Watch the mixture very closely at this point — it will burn very easily. If it appears too thin, be assured that it will thicken upon cooling. Remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar until dissolved. Pour into a clean jar and let it thicken before drizzling over the salad.

2. For the Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette: In a mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until combined. Season it with salt & pepper to taste. Refrigerate the dressing until ready to toss the salad.

3. For the Candied Pecans: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes until just toasted. Remove from the oven and let it cool. Meanwhile, pour the sugar into a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon while the sugar melts. Keep stirring until the color turns a medium amber color. Once that color is reached, add in the pecans to the pan and quickly stir to coat. As soon as they are coated, spread them onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. Let them cool completely before adding them to the dish (after they have hardened, you can chose whether or not you want to chop them up or leave them whole).

4. For the Crispy Shallots: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce until combined. Add in the thinly shaved shallots and toss them in the spicy milk mixture until they are thoroughly covered. Let these onions soak for roughly an hour. When you are ready to fry, heat some vegetable oil up to 350 degrees. While the oil is heating, drain the shallots from the milk, and then lightly coat them in some AP Flour, shaking well to remove any excess flour. Fry the shallots in the hot oil, in small batches, until they are crispy & golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Once cooked, strain from the oil onto a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining shallots. After they have all been fried, set them aside until you are ready to garnish the salad with them.

5. For the Steakhouse Salad: In a large mixing bowl, place the mixed greens and lettuce in a bowl, along with the candied pecans, dried cherries, apple slices, apple chips, crumbled bleu cheese, minced red onion, and parsley. Toss them together until all of the ingredients are incorporated throughout. Next, pour some of the Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss until just combined (don’t overdress the salad or it will be soggy). Lay the slices of the filet mignon on top of the dressed salad, and then generously drizzle some of the Red Wine-Balsamic Caramel over the steak and the salad. Garnish the salad with a big pile of crispy shallots. Enjoy immediately with a big glass of red wine!

source: balsamic caramel.