Recipe: Fried Goat Cheese with Onion Confit

the appetizer:

Tapas by Penelope Casas, the authority on tapas and Spanish cuisine, has been updated, with recipes like Fried Goat Cheese with Onion Confit, Vegetable and Goat Cheese "Lasagna", and Fried Beer-Marinated Chicken Wings with Salsa Brava.

Cookbook

Fried Goat Cheese with Onion Confit

Queso de Cabra Frito Sobre Cebolla Confitada

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Serves 4-8 (Makes 8)

An outstanding tapa—one of my favorites from the new generation of tapas. The sweetness of the slowly stewed onions is the perfect foil for the goat cheese and its crunchy coating.

1/2 recipe Onion Confit (below)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
A 4-ounce log goat cheese,
cut in 1/2-inch slices
Dried bread crumbs, preferably mixed
with Japanese-style panko crumbs
Mild olive oil for frying

Prepare the Onion Confit and reserve. [May be prepared ahead.] In a shallow bowl, beat the egg and parsley together with a fork. Dip the cheese in the egg, then coat with the crumbs.

Heat the oil to 360 degrees F, preferably in a deep fryer. Otherwise pour oil into a skillet to a depth of at least 1 inch, and heat the oil until it quickly browns a cube of bread. Fry the cheese until golden brown and drain on paper towels. [May be kept warm in a 200 degrees F oven for up to 30 minutes.] Warm the confit and place a tablespoon or so on 4-8 individual plates. Place one or two of the fried cheese pieces on top and serve right away.

Onion Confit

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, such as Vidalia or other sweet onion,
(about 1-1/4—1-1/2 pounds), slivered
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon crumbled thread saffron
1 bay leaf
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon dry white wine

Put the oil, onions, garlic, saffron, and bay leaf in a shallow sauté pan. Heat over the lowest possible heat until the mixture begins to sizzle. Cover and cook 40 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper, add the wine, and cook until evaporated. [May be prepared ahead.]