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Circassian fried cheese with a Middle-Eastern field salad
This simple Circassian fried cheese is a mouth-watering, creamy, milky morsel of cheesy goodness, fried to perfection inside the crispy exterior of eggs & a gluten-free spiced almond mixture. The specified amounds make enough to feed one person. Increase as needed. And follow my instructions for the salad, not the photos, for an excellent salad
Ingredients
- For cheese:
- A few slices of fresh Circassian cheese mozzarella, edam or gouda (all of which fry beautifully)
- 2 Tbs of ground almonds or hazelnuts (filberts)
- 1.5 Tb of Circassian spice mixture or: 2 tsps sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon pepper, a pinch of salt, 1 Tb ground walnuts or almonds
- 1 egg + 1 teaspoon of water mixed
- For salad:
- 3 large leaves of salad or ¼ of a head of lettuce
- ½ of a large English cucumber or 1 regular-sized cucumber
- ⅛ of an onion
- ½ of a red yellow, or orange pepper
- ½ of an avocado
- 1-2 Tbs of za'atar spice mixture or a spice mixture of your choice (herbes de provence would also go well in here)
- 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tb champagne vinegar or white-wine vinegar
- a pinch of salt to taste
- a sprinkle of pepper
Instructions
- Slice lettuce, onions, cucumbers, bell pepper and avocado. Mix to combine and sprinkle with herb mixture.
- Preheat a heavy-bottomed pan to medium heat (preferably cast iron, but I'm not picky). Pour in a Tb of olive oil, and a Tb of vegetable oil.
- Prepare your mise en place: mix ground almonds with spices on a shallow plate. Mix egg and water in a small bowl beside it.
- Slice cheese into chunks that are not too thin, but also not too thick.
- When your pan is sufficiently warm, start dressing your cheese. First, dip cheese into spice and almond mixture, ensuring all sides are well coated. Then, dip cheese into egg wash quickly, trying to keep the coating from falling off. Place on hot pan and cover with a lid. Let cook for 2 minutes, check for doneness; if needed, cook for another minute or two, checking regularly (you don't want your nuts to burn). Remove lid, turn cheese slice over, and let cook for two minutes on the other side, with the lid on. Remove from heat and place on a plate.
- Plate salad. Drizzle the salad with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix gently to combine once again. Top with warm fried cheese, and serve immediately.