Endivias con Queso de Cabra y Naranjas
Endivias con Queso de Cabra y Naranjas·(en-DEE-bee-as con KEH-so de CAH-bra ee nah-RAHN-has)
Chapter 1: Foundations & the Bar Snacks
If there is a singular dish that defines the modern American tapas bar revolution, it's this absolute masterclass in flavor balance. Introduced to the States in the early nineties by José Andrés, it proved that Spanish food was about more than just heavy stews and fried potatoes. In the chaotic, glorious choreography of your home tapas party, this cold, crisp plate is your anchor—a pristine vessel of bitter endive, lactic goat cheese, and sweet citrus that hits the table instantly, buying you exactly the time you need to command the high-heat wizardry happening at the stove.
Before you start
Confit the garlic.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), submerge the peeled garlic cloves in 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a small ramekin, and roast for 20 to 25 minutes until tender and deep golden brown, then let cool completely in the oil.
Blend the vinaigrette.
Transfer the cooled roasted garlic and its roasting oil into a blender with the sherry vinegar, shallot, kosher salt, and pepper, blending until smooth before slowly drizzling in the remaining 1/4 cup of raw olive oil to emulsify.
Supreme the oranges.
Slice the top and bottom off the oranges, cut away the peel and all of the bitter white pith, and slice carefully between the membranes to release perfectly clean wedges of fruit.
Ingredients
- garlic clove4 large
- Spanish extra-virgin olive oil1/2 cup
- sherry vinegar3 tbsp
- shallot1 small
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- Belgian endive4 med
- seedless orange2 large
- Spanish goat cheese4 oz
- sliced Marcona almonds1/3 cup
- fresh chives2 tbsp
- flaky sea salt1 tsp
Method
- 01
Arrange the endive boats.
Slice about 1/4-inch off the root end of each Belgian endive and carefully peel away the crisp leaves, trimming the root again as you get deeper into the head to release the perfectly sized, boat-shaped middle leaves onto a chilled serving platter.
- 02
Fill the endives with cheese and orange.
Place a small dollop of the room-temperature goat cheese into the wide base of each endive leaf, then tuck one or two pieces of the orange supreme next to the cheese.
- 03
Dress aggressively and garnish.
Scatter the toasted almonds generously over the top, use a spoon to heavily drizzle the roasted garlic vinaigrette over the entire platter, and finish with a shower of minced chives and a crackle of flaky sea salt.
Notes
Do not substitute the sherry vinegar.
Vinagre de Jerez is aged in oak barrels via the solera system, providing a nutty, complex mahogany flavor; balsamic is far too sweet and red wine vinegar is too flat to replicate it.
Source the right cheese.
Seek out Caña de cabra, a soft, semi-sweet Spanish goat cheese from Murcia, and always bring it fully to room temperature so it spoons luxuriously into the delicate leaves.