Deep-fried Cheese With Cumberland Sauce - By Margaret Johnson

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 oranges
• 1 lemon
• 5 tablespoons port wine
• 1 (10 ounce) jar red currant jelly
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup flat beer, at room temperature
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 egg, separated
• 2 (8 ounce) rounds camembert cheese
• canola oil (for frying)
• mixed salad green (to garnish)

Recipe

• 1 this dish is best made with a camembert-style irish cheese such as st. killian, from carrigbyrne farmhouse cheese, enniscorthy, county wexford. like other rind cheeses, this is delicious deep-fried in beer batter and served with tangy cumberland sauce, which should be prepared a day in advance to let the flavors meld.
• 2 to make the cumberland sauce: with a vegetable peeler, peel strips of zest from the orange and lemon. with a sharp knife, shred the zest as thinly as possible. put the zest into a small saucepan and cover with cold water. bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook for 5 minutes, or until the zest starts to soften. drain and set aside.
• 3 squeeze the juice from the oranges and lemon into a small saucepan. add the jelly, ginger, and mustard, and bring to a boil. cook for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is reduced by half. transfer the sauce to a small bowl and stir in the reserved zest. refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 weeks. makes about 1 1/2 cups.
• 4 to make the fried cheese: in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, beer, salt, and oil. there should be a few small lumps. cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place for about 3 hours. stir in the egg yolk. in a small bowl, beat the egg with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. fold into the beer batter.
• 5 cut each round of cheese, rind and all, into 8 pie-shaped slices, then cut each slice in half. in an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat the oil to 325°f dip the cheese pieces, one at a time, into the beer batter. drop into the hot oil, and cook, turning as necessary with a wooden spoon, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown. with a slotted spoon, remove each piece as soon as it's browned and drain on paper towels.
• 6 to serve, spoon the cumberland sauce into small ramekins or dishes and place in the center of 4 salad plates. arrange the mixed greens around each ramekin and place 8 pieces of cheese on top. serves 4.