FRICO CUPS WITH HERBED GOAT CHEESE

Frico Cups with Herbed Goat Cheese image

Yield Makes 24 hors d'oeuvres

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 cup finely shredded fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano (3 oz)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 oz soft mild goat cheese (1/3 cup) at room temperature
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Garnish: tiny mesclun leaves such as baby romaine, arugula, and red mustard
Special Equipment
a flexible heatproof plastic spatula; a mini-muffin pan with 12 (1 3/4-inch) cups; a pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip (optional)

Steps:

Stir together parmesan and flour with a fork. Heat an 8- to 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderately low heat until hot. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons parmesan mixture into a 2 1/2-inch free-form round in skillet and cook until cheese is set, about 10 seconds. Loosen edge of frico with plastic spatula, then turn over and cook 5 seconds more. Immediately transfer frico to a muffin cup, lightly pressing it in, and remove from cup once crisp, about 30 seconds. Make more frico cups in same manner.
Stir together goat cheese, cream, chives, parsley, salt, and pepper and transfer to pastry bag (if using). Tuck a mesclun leaf inside each cup, then pipe (or spoon) in herbed goat cheese to fill two thirds of each cup.