A decadent mixture of Gruyere, garlic, wine, and kirsch is scooped onto bread rounds and fried to perfection—golden and crisp outside, gooey inside—in this recipe for classic Swiss cheese fritters, which first appeared in our October 2013 issue with the article Pleasure Dome.
makes 6
Ingredients
6 slices white Pullman bread
16 oz. Gruyère cheese, grated
3 tbsp. flour
1⁄8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1⁄4 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp. kirsch (cherry brandy)
Canola oil, for frying
Instructions
Using a 3" ring cutter, cut one round from center of each slice of bread; reserve crusts for another use. Mix cheese, flour, nutmeg, garlic, eggs, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Slowly add wine and kirsch; stir until a thick paste forms. Divide mixture between bread rounds, and using wet hands, mold cheese mixture into smooth 1½"-high mounds.
Pour enough oil into a 6-qt. saucepan to reach a depth of 2". Heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°. Fry malakoffs cheese side down, flipping once, until golden brown and bread is crisp, 6–8 minutes. Serve immediately.
