There are few foods that aren’t improved by frying, and cheese is no exception. While excellent at room temperature, frying most cheese varieties will turn them into that oozing mess we all yearn for, seeping out like lava when you break through the toasted crust. With so many cheese, breading, and sauce combinations, the dish is truly customizable to fit your next menu.
We were inspired by Five Euro Food’s use of the technique: Panko-breaded brie, topped with red currant jelly on a bed of asparagus. Surprisingly, fried cheese needn’t be overly indulgent if prepared correctly.
Fried brie makes an absolutely fantastic starter, or even as an hors d’oeuvre if you make the pieces bite-sized. Personally, we ate it as a main course. We didn’t want anything too carby or too filling, and so while this is quite a decadent dish, if you eat it as your only course it really is just the right amount. I served it with some pea sprouts which I’d seen in the store recently, which were absolutely delicious, and of course a nice bit of red currant jelly (or lingonberry jam if you have it!).
Ready to try your own version? Keep the berry pairing going and whip up fried camembert with sweet and sour berry sauce, or try a more savory approach with fried mozzarella and salami sticks. Or nix the breading all together and try Gebna Makleyah, which is fried feta traditionally eaten in Egypt. If you’d like to keep it even lighter, try fried goat cheese atop a bed of arugula, sure to make an excellent starter or entree.
Photo by Five Euro Food
Alicia Hahn
Alicia Hahn excels at eating and enjoys writing, crosswords, and cooking (preferably with cheese). Originally from San Francisco, she moved to Boston for school and fell in love with the city (despite an annual campaign against winter). Her favorite place to be is the farmers’ market, where she finds weird and exciting ingredients to make or break her next meal.
