Goat Cheese With Red Wine Butter Sauce

This is a wonderful starter course for goat cheese lovers. I think I found the recipe in an older issue of Gourmet Magazine. Serve with red seedless grapes and crackers.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup  fine breadcrumbs
• 1  tablespoon  cracked black peppercorns
• 1⁄2 lb  mild  goat cheese, such as Montrachet (cut into 4 rounds)
• 1  tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 3  tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
• 1  tablespoon shallot, minced
• 1⁄2 cup zinfandel
• 1  tablespoon  balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. On a plate combine the bread crumbs and peppercorns.
2. Ross the goat cheese rounds in this mixture, coating them well and shaking off the excess.
3. Arrange on a well greased baking sheet.
4. Brush rounds carefully with the melted butter.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 3 - 4 minutes.
6. Should be slightly softened.
7. In a small saucepan combine the shallot, wine and vinegar and cook over moderate heat until it is reduced to about 3 tablespoons.
8. Reduce heat to low and whisk in the remaining 3 tbsp of butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking until the sauce is thickened slightly.
9. Divide the sauce among 4 heated plates and transfer the cheese rounds carefully with a spatula to the plates.
10. Garnish and serve with the crackers.