Prosciutto, Brie, and Pear Sandwiches with Mixed Green Salad and Lardon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1 small 10-inch loaf French or Italian bread, ends discarded, cut into 16 (1/2-inch) thick slices
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons white truffle oil, or extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch salt
• 8 ounces Brie, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma
• 2 ripe pears, cored and very thinly sliced

Mixed Green Salad with Warm Lardon Vinaigrette:

• 7 ounces slab bacon, cut into lardons (1/4-inch by 1/4-inch by 1-inch pieces)
• 2 tablespoons, chopped shallot
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Creole mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 pound mixed salad greens

Directions

Preheat a waffle iron or other hot sandwich maker. In a small bowl, cream together the softened butter, oil, and salt. Spread about 1 teaspoon of the butter mixture onto 1 side of 8 slices of the bread with an off-set spatula. Place the bread, buttered side down on the cutting board. Layer the inside of each slice with cheese, prosciutto, and pears. Top with the remaining bread slices, and spread with the butter mixture.

Transfer to the waffle iron and cook in batches until golden brown and the cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes.

To make the salad: In a hot skillet, add the lardons and cook until the fat is rendered. Remove lardons from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate.

To the skillet with the fat, add shallots and saute. Add red wine vinegar and mustard and stir the dressing to emulsify. Add the chives and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the salad greens and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Remove sandwiches from the waffle iron and transfer to plates. Cut in half diagonally and serve hot. Plate with salad and garnish with lardons.