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Smažený sýr
Breaded fried cheese
Breaded fried cheese with tartare sauce and boiled potatoes, the Czech pub classic
Smažený sýr, a thick slab of breaded Edam fried until molten, is the dish every Czech student orders at a Prague hospoda and the one vegetarian main that turns up on nearly every menu from Brno to the Šumava mountain huts. It comes with tatarská omáčka (tartare sauce) and either boiled potatoes or chips, and a cold pivo on the side. The joy is the crunch giving way to stretchy, salty cheese. Chef's tip: chill the breaded slices for 20 minutes and double-coat them, otherwise the cheese bursts out into the oil before the crumb is golden.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the cheese
- 1 ⅓ lb Edam or Goudacut into 4 slabs 1.5 cm thick; choose one made with vegetarian rennet
- 2 ⅛ oz plain flour
- 3 eggs
- 2 tbsp milk
- 5 ½ oz dried breadcrumbs
- 2 cups sunflower oilfor shallow frying
For the tartare sauce
- 5 ½ oz mayonnaise
- 1 ¾ oz plain yogurt
- 3 pickled gherkinsfinely chopped
- ½ small onionvery finely chopped
- 1 tsp mild mustard
- 1 tsp lemon juice
To serve
- 1 ¾ lb boiled potatoes or chips
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Stir 5 ½ oz mayonnaise, 1 ¾ oz plain yogurt, 3 pickled gherkins, ½ small onion, 1 tsp mild mustard and 1 tsp lemon juice together. Chill while you prepare the cheese; the sauce tastes better after half an hour.
Step 2: Set out three plates: 2 ⅛ oz plain flour, then 3 eggs beaten with 2 tbsp milk, then 5 ½ oz dried breadcrumbs. Pat 1 ⅓ lb Edam or Gouda dry with kitchen paper.
Step 3: Coat each slab in flour, then egg, then crumbs, pressing firmly onto the edges. Dip again in egg and crumbs for a second coat. Chill for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 4: Heat 2 cups sunflower oil 1.5 cm deep in a frying pan over a medium-high heat to 350°F, or until a cube of bread fizzes and browns in 40 seconds.
Step 5: Fry the cheese two at a time for 1½–2 minutes per side, until deep golden and the slabs feel soft when pressed with a spatula. Too-hot oil browns the crumb before the middle melts; too-cool oil soaks in and leaks cheese.
8 minStep 6: Drain on kitchen paper for a minute and serve straight away with 1 ¾ lb boiled potatoes or chips, a spoonful of the sauce and a scattering of 1 tbsp chopped parsley.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 820 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 52 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does smažený sýr take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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