THE FAMOUS GOAT CHEESE BALLS

A lot of you have been asking me for the recipe for these crunchy goat cheese-filled delights, so I’ve adapted our recipe for at-home cooking! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

Makes 10

8 oz goat cheese

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

4 large egg yolks

2 large eggs

1 ½  cup dry breadcrumbs

2 cups canola oil

PREPARATION

1.     Shape the goat cheese into 10 little balls.

2.     Sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt, and the pepper. 

3.     In a bowl, whisk together the yolks and eggs until smooth. 

4.     Place breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. 

5.     Dip each cheese ball into the egg, and then roll in the breadcrumbs. 

6.     Repeat by re-dipping each balls in the egg and then rolling a second time in breadcrumbs. The double-dipping is what stops the goat cheese from escaping and gives it the super crunchy crust!

7.     Place on a parchment paper-lined plate. 

8.     Cover and chill 12 hours. (If you absolutely can’t wait, I just pop them in the freezer for 30 minutes – they’ll be gooier when you fry them, but still delicious.) 

9.     Heat canola oil in a medium sauce pan (the oil should be about 1.5-2 inches deep, max) over medium-high heat until it begins to softly bubble (about 350 degrees F)– be careful and do not let it burn you or catch fire! If it gets too hot it will spit, so be very careful! A medium bubble is fine, so don’t put it any higher than Medium or Medium High Heat. ***

10.  I always make sure to add the balls immediately as it begins to bubble, so that it doesn’t catch fire. Working in batches, carefully add a few cheese balls to the oil, and cook until golden brown, turning often, about 3 to 4 minutes. 

11.  Sometimes you need to adjust the heat down a bit, and then back up, to make sure the oil doesn’t get out of control. 

12.  Drain on paper towels, and repeat with the rest of the balls.

13. Serve with julienned carrots and cucumber tossed in the mango sauce - or just the mango sauce! 

***Be very very careful when frying items in oil - if you’ve never done it before then I suggest you google it first for instructions - and have fire-fighting materials near you in case of an emergency.  I always have the lid of the pan handy, as well as an oil-splatter guard, and my kitchen is equipped with a fire blanket and extinguisher - better safe than sorry!

Makes: 20