TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes
SERVES: 8-10 pieces
Protein
2 eggs
Milk & Dairy
8 oz goat cheese
Pantry
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups panko
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup neutral oil for frying
salt + pepper
Produce
1 large super ripe mango
arugula for garnish
Prep your cheese. Pinch off a small chunk of goat cheese and roll it into a ball, then squish into a disc. Do this until you get about 8-10 discs. Place on a plate and freeze for a minimum of 15 minutes - overnight (the longer the better).
Make your mango sauce. Blend together mango, 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Set in fridge until serving.
Dredge your goat cheese balls. Heat 1 inch of neutral oil (about 1 cup depending on your pan size) in a small pan over medium high heat. Use a wooden skewer to test if it's hot enough - if it bubbles immediately it's ready, if not - just wait. If your oil isn't hot enough it will result in a longer cook time and overly greasy pieces.
Separately to 3 small bowls add: 1/2 cup flour, 1 1/2 cups panko with salt and pepper, 2 beaten eggs.
Dip cheese discs into flour>eggs>panko>eggs>panko and set aside.
Cook. Once oil is hot enough, add 3-4 discs to the oil and cook until golden brown on both sides (about 1-2 minutes per side). Do not add more than this as the oil will cool down and not cook the cheese fast enough, again resulting in overly greasy pieces.
Once cooked, place on a wire rack and sprinkle with salt.
Plate and serve immediately, dollop mango sauce on plate, top with a goat cheese disc. Finish with arugula or any greens you like.
What I did different than the original recipe:
Breadcrumbs: I used panko but I honestly think regular breadcrumbs might be better. I also added a flour dip to start. You should definitely double coat though (flour, egg, breadcrumbs, egg, breadcrumbs) otherwise the cheese will explode out while cooking.
Eggs: I just used 2 eggs instead of the 2 eggs + 2 yolks it calls for.
Freezer: I made these into discs instead of balls so they chill faster - I left them in the freezer for 15 minutes and they were great, no need for hours. I also froze just the cheese to save time, so I could prep the dredge while it chilled. It turned out great but I do think they stay more firm if you chill longer, as you could see in my video they were pretty gooey.
Mango: I subbed in 1 whole super ripe mango.
Questions? Drop a comment below if you have any questions, and don’t forget to let me know if you make it!