Deep Fried Cheese (Slovakian Vyprážaný Syr)

If there’s an unofficial Slovak national dish, it’s deep-fried cheese. A thick slab of Edam or Ementhal cheese that’s breaded and deep fried, the dish is ubiquitous around the country. In restaurants, canteenas, and cafeterias around Slovakia, you’ll see it served with potatoes or, more often, French fries, a dab of tartar sauce for dipping, and sliced vegetables as a garnish. Generations of Slovak students survived college on deep-fried cheese. Throughout the 1990s, deep-fried cheese was often the only vegetarian dish on restaurant menus. For a short period back then, street vendors sold deep-fried cheese in a hamburger or kaiser rolls as “cheeseburger.”

Edam cheese (300-350 g)
3 eggs
fine flour
breadcrumbs
sea salt

Garnish:
tomatoes, sliced
cucumber, sliced
French fries (hranolky)
tartar sauce

Slice the cheese into 1-1.5 cm slabs.

Put flour, whisked eggs, and breadcrumbs in three separate bowls. Coat both sides of each cheese slab with flour, whisked eggs, and breadcrumbs, then again in egg and breadcrumbs to prevent the cheese from oozing through during frying.

While the potatoes cook, fry the cheese in a pan filled with hot oil, 20–30 seconds per side, or deep fryer. Soak away excess fat with a paper towel.

Serve with French fries or boiled potatoes, and with a tomato, cucumber, and pepper garnish.