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Cheese Balls Fried
Mix thoroughly a cup and a half of grated cheese, a little salt and pepper and the whites of three eggs, beaten stiff.
Shape into little rolls, cover with bread dust, fry in deep fat and drain on blotting paper.-Anne Warner.
A short recipe that depends almost entirely on handling: stiff egg whites and dry cheese have very little structural help, so the rolls must be firm before they meet the fat.
- The hinge: chill and coat wellFold the cheese into the beaten whites rather than stirring, shape the rolls, and refrigerate them 20-30 minutes before frying. Warm, loosely coated balls split open in the fat and leak cheese.
- "Bread dust"Fine dry breadcrumbs sifted from stale bread, closer to modern unseasoned crumbs than to panko. Roll the shapes twice if the first coat looks patchy.
- Which cheeseThe recipe says only 'grated cheese'; a dry aged cheese works best: aged Cheddar, Parmesan, or a dry Jack. Pre-shredded cheese carries anti-caking starch and fresh mozzarella carries too much water; both work badly.
- Deep fat temperatureThe original gives none. Fry at 365-375F, in batches, one to two minutes until the crust is set and golden. Below 350F the coating absorbs fat before the cheese sets.
- Blotting paperCookbooks of the period routinely direct that fried food be drained on blotting paper, which is unsized and so absorbent. Paper towels on a rack do the same job.
- SaltAged cheese is already salty; taste the mixture before adding more than a pinch.
- Yield and servingA cup and a half of grated cheese makes roughly 16 to 20 small rolls, enough for four as a savory or garnish. Serve immediately, while the interior is still soft.
Cheese balls of this kind belonged to the late-Victorian and Edwardian savory course, the small salted dish served after dessert or as an accompaniment to soup and salad, and they are a common way cookbooks of the period used up cheese ends and leftover egg whites. The technique is that of a fritter without flour: beaten whites carry the cheese, breadcrumbs hold the shape, hot fat does the rest. The recipe carries a personal attribution, to Anne Warner, in the manner of collections that gathered dishes from named contributors.