French Menu Third Course: Frisee Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette and Maple Roasted Apples

Traditional French frisee salads are commonly served with bacon, or lardons and a poached egg. Given that I am using this as a third course dish, I'm opting out of the bacon and poached egg to create something lighter and more acidic to work as a palette cleanser. Frisee (curly French endive) is a bitter green and usually requires a bit of sweetness for balance. The roasted apples in this recipe work beautifully.

Frisee Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette and Maple Roasted Apples

 2 Fuji apples, peeled and cut into 12 wedges per apple
 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
 1/4 Cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
 2 Tablespoons Champagne vinegar
 1/2 Cup of shallots, thinly sliced into rings
 2 Teaspoons of honey
 1/2 Heaping teaspoon whole grain Dijon mustard
 1/4 Cup thinly sliced radishes
 1 Head of Frisee, outer leaves and stem removed
 Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss apples with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and maple syrup until well distributed. Place apples in a roasting dish and season with salt and cracked black pepper. Roast for 10 minutes, stirring once, then roast for another 10 minutes.  Set aside and let cool.

Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, the champagne vinegar, shallots, honey and dijon mustard in a bowl. Wisc until well incorporated. Using a large bowl, prepare the frisee by tearing it into bite size pieces. Add radishes and apples to the frisee. Add the vinaigrette in batches, tossing and tasting as you go to your preferred level of dressing. Season with salt and cracked black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Serves 6