Queso Frito - Fried Cheese

Another delightful book that I received recently was 'Tapas and Other Spanish Plates to Share'. Gorgeous photos accompanying every recipe, this book is a must for tapas lovers. Traditional little Spanish nibbles, tapas have become extremely popular due to their variety and versatility. Not only can you serve them with pre-dinner drinks, they also make a great starter or lunch.



In the book you will find recipes for all the classic Spanish tapas, including Patatas Bravas (potatoes in tomato sauce), Tortilla Española (Spanish omlette), Albóndigas (meatballs in tomato sauce) and Gambas Al Ajillo (garlic prawns). The chapters are divided into meat and poultry, fish and seafood, vegetables, and there is a great section with cheese and egg recipes. In fact, there is something for everyone and many of the recipes are straightforward and easy to make. Quite a few of the dishes can be prepared ahead of time, making entertaining more enjoyable.

One of the recipes I chose to make was 'Queso Frito' (fried cheese). The cheese used in this recipe was Manchego cheese, which is made in the La Mancha region of Spain, from sheep's milk. It is a really firm cheese and pale ivory yellow in colour, making it perfect for cooking.



Queseo Frito (Fried Cheese)
Recipe by Linda Tubby from Tapas and Other Spanish Plates to Share, Ryland Peters & Small.
The recipe suggests serving the fried cheese with membrillo, which is a quince paste, but I used a smoked chilli jelly from Belazu, which complemented the cheese very well.

275-300g Manchego cheese
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 egg, beaten
150g lightly dried fine fresh white breadcrumbs
150ml olive oil
a pinch of oak-smoked sweet Spanish paprika

Cut the rind off the Manchego cheese and cut it into 1cm wedges.

Using three small plates or bowls, put the flour in one, the egg in another and the breadcrumbs in the last one.

Dip the wedges of cheese into the flour, then the beaten egg, and lastly the breadcrumbs. Place on a plate while you heat the oil.

Heat half of the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the cheese wedges in a single layer in batches until crisp and golden - about 45 seconds to a minute on each side. Drain on kitchen paper.

Wipe the pan out of any burnt breadcrumbs and fry the remaining wedges in the same way, using the rest of the olive oil.

Sprinkle with the paprika and serve hot.



The book can be bought directly from Ryland Peters & Small, or from Amazon.



Tapas and Other Spanish Plates to Share
£14.99 / Hardback, 144 pages
Publisher: Ryland Peters & Small
October 2010
ISBN 13: 9781849750554

With thanks to Sarah at Ryland Peters & Small

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