Here is a unique little snack for your next celebration! Everybody knows regular cheese balls, but these are 10 times better! Goat cheese balls!
I rarely eat deep-fried food, especially homemade deep-fried food as the amount of oil used is crazy. But these balls are an exception and totally worth it! The zinginess of goat's cheese cuts through the deep-fried fattiness and the balls end up being highly addictive. I recommend preparing a bigger batch and storing them in a container in the freezer. This way a quick appetizer is always ready in minutes. In addition to just snacking on them straight out of the bowl, I also like to use them instead of croutons for soups (pumpkin!) and in a salad with lambs lettuce and fresh pears dressed in lemon, olive oil, and honey.
Goat Cheese Balls
Cooking time: 30 minutes (plus chilling time)
Makes: 40 balls
Ingredients:
14 oz soft goat’s cheese
½ cup flour
1 egg
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
Oil for frying (at least 2 cups depending on the size of your pot)
To serve:
¼ cup toasted chopped walnuts
2 tsp of honey mixed with 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions:
Divide the goat's cheese into 40 equal pieces and roll into little balls.
Beat the egg in one bowl with a little salt and pepper. Place flour and panko in two separate bowls, so you end up with 3 bowls for a small production line.
Roll the balls in flour, then egg and let the excess drip off, finally in the panko.
Freeze the balls for at least 30 minutes before cooking. You can also make these ahead and store them in the freezer for at least a month)
Once ready to cook, heat the oil in a small pot until very hot. Fry the balls in small batches until golden. It only takes around 1 minute. Then drain on paper towels.
To serve, drizzle the balls with the honey-lemon mixture and sprinkle with walnuts.
By Kadri Raig
Kadri is a food blogger and yoga teacher from Estonia. She loves to spend time in the kitchen, but most of her recipes are simple and don’t take more than 20 minutes of active cooking time. She thinks that everybody can find time to cook healthy food at home, it is just a question of planning. "I work in an office full time, teach yoga 7-8 hours a week and write a blog. So if I manage to cook most of my meals, then so do you!" Connect with Kadri and enjoy many more of her delicious healthy recipes on her website here: www.kahvliga.ee.