Breaded California Bartlett Pear Salad

Ingredients

Salad
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
4 ripe, medium-size fresh California Bartlett Pears, cured and quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
Vegetable oil for frying
4 cups mixed baby field greens
6 oz prosciutto, sliced very thin
Aged balsamic vinegar optional

Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsps chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

For Lemon Vinaigrette: Combine ingredients in a bowl and beat well or in a screw-top jar and shake well. Chill several hours to meld flavors.

For Pear Salad: Combine flour, salt, pepper and paprika in small, shallow bowl. In another bowl, lightly beat eggs. In still another shallow bowl, toss crumbs with olive oil. Dredge pear quarters in seasoned flour. Dip in beaten egg; drain off excess. Then, roll in crumb mixture. (In order for crumb mixture to adhere, pears must be ripe.) Deep-fry at 350° F until golden brown. Beat or shake vinaigrette again and toss greens with half of dressing. To serve, arrange prosciutto on 4 salad plates. Mound greens in center and arrange 4 warm pear quarters on top. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette and aged balsamic vinegar (if desired) over each salad. Sprinkle lightly with pepper to taste.