Tirokroketes (Greek Fried Goat Cheese Balls) with Honey

• total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

Canola oil, for frying

1/4 cup cornstarch

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup club soda

One 10-ounce log of fresh goat cheese

Honey, chopped roasted pistachios and freshly ground pepper, for serving

3 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs), lightly crushed

Salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions

Cut the goat cheese log into 16 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Refrigerate the balls on a wax paper–lined baking sheet until firm, about 10 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk the egg and club soda. Gradually whisk in the flour and cornstarch and season with salt. Spread the panko in a shallow bowl. Dip the goat cheese balls in the egg batter, then dredge in the panko . Coat the balls again in egg batter and panko . Return them to the baking sheet and freeze just until firm, about 15 minutes.

In a large saucepan, heat 2 inches of canola oil to 375°. Working in batches, fry the cheese balls over high heat, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the balls to a paper towel–lined plate and season with salt. Transfer the cheese balls to a platter, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with pistachios and pepper. Serve hot.

Nutrition

• Calories: 2734 kcal
• Total Fat: 100 g
• Saturated Fat: 48 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 316 mg
• Sodium: 4368 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 337 g
• Dietary Fiber: 18 g
• Total Sugars: 21 g
• Protein: 114 g