Monday, December 12, 2011

Lemon Goat Cheese Nachos

We're all pretty well aware of Nachos right?  Chips, cheese, some beans, salsa, sour cream...the ingredients are pretty standard, and, I won't lie- pretty awesome.  I mean honestly- you melt some cheese and combine it with salty crisp chips and then top it all with spicy salsa- well you've got a hit.  Nachos were first created in 1943 in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico as a quick snack using what was readily accessible in the kitchen of a closed restaurant for some hungry shoppers.  Since then Nachos have been made time and time again and are now the snack food of choice in restaurants, bars, ball parks etc for anyone searching for a cheesy treat.  Watching football always seems to instill the craving in me, so when a friend suggested making some Nachos for the Patriots game this weekend- I was all in.

Of course, these weren't any ordinary nachos we made.  It all started with a purchase of Wild Boar Salame.  Wild Boar has a really unique taste to it, strongly influenced by the boars diet of grasses, roots, and berries. It is stronger than your average pig flavor, and is also a fair amount leaner.  The salame is often made by combining this boar meat with pork to add some fat to it.  The flavor is rich and intense, with deep flavors.  Wild Boar Salame in hand, it was time to imagine the rest of the nacho ingredients. 

After a fair amount of discussion and planning, the ingredients became less and less similar to "ordinary" nachos.  Goat cheese, lemon zest, parsley, cheddar cheese, red bell pepper, mushrooms, and green onions found their way on to regular, salty corn chips, and our nachos were born.

1 bag, shredded cheddar cheese
5 oz goat cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp lemon zest
8 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
3 + 1 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 oz Wild Boar Salame, sliced and quartered
1/2 a red bell pepper, diced
Corn chips
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

In a skillet over medium heat, drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil, add 3 cloves of chopped garlic.  Once the garlic begins to smell, add the mushrooms and saute until cooked.

In a small bowl combine, the final clove of chopped garlic, half of the parsley, lemon zest, goat cheese salt and pepper, and then drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil and combine by whisking.  The result should be thick, but loose and easy to spread without being runny.

Lay out a layer of chips on a baking sheet, spoon a dollop of the goat cheese into the middle of each, and then place a piece of the boar salame, and mushrooms on each.  Top with cheddar cheese, red peppers, and green onions, then repeat with another layer until the ingredients are used.

Bake at 400 for approximately 7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, and a little bit brown on top. Top with any leftover chopped parsley, peppers and green onions.  

While this mix of ingredients may seem odd, the result was addictive.  The lemon zest added a wonderful burst of brightness to both the rich Boar meat as well as the tangy goat cheese.  The sharp cheddar cheese lent striking contrast to the goat cheese, and surrounded the mushrooms.  I loved the different textures all throughout these nachos. The crispy chips paired well with the saucy cheese and the soft mushrooms.  These were definitely not a typical nacho preparation, but one that truly worked.   

9 comments:

Delicious Dishings said...

Awesome recipe! Where'd you find the wild boar salame??

Michelle Collins said...

Nachos are one of my all-time favorite things. I love how innovative these are!

In and Around Town said...

This sounds like a pretty amazing nacho recipe! Definitely something for the good company :)

Elizabeth said...

Definitely an interesting mix. Glad they turned out well!

Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic said...

I've never had boar salami but I bet I would love it :) These nachos sound awesome!

Kristen said...

what an inventive plate of nachos, these look delicious!

Jen said...

These sound so unique, I almost can't imagine how awesome they tasted. I propose you make these the next time we hang out so I can taste them for myself.

Biscuit said...

look so delicious !!

look-and-inspire-yourself.blogspot.com/

Tania said...

I just drooled....what an awesome way to fancy up nachos! Will have to try this Mmmmm can't wait!

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