Rántott sajt, breaded cheese, is the dish every Hungarian vegetarian has eaten more times than they can count, and that every meat eater orders anyway. Thick slices of trappista, the mild, smooth cheese that accounts for most of the cheese Hungarians eat, are dipped in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and fried until crisp, golden and soft in the middle. It is cheap, quick, cooked at home and found on restaurant menus across the country, usually cut into squares or triangles and served with chips, rice or salad, and always with tartármártás, the Hungarian tartar sauce.

The craft is all in the coating. A double layer of egg and crumbs keeps the cheese sealed in as it melts, so it arrives on the plate whole and leaves only when you cut it. It is a fine thing to eat with your fingers on a paper plate, which is exactly how it should be eaten during a race, preferably before the cheese has finished stretching.

The tartar sauce

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup (75 g) mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup (80 g) sour cream or thick plain yogurt
• 2 small dill pickles
• 1 teaspoon mild or medium mustard
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley or chives
• a pinch fine salt, sugar and black pepper

Method

1. Stir all the sauce ingredients together in the small bowl. Taste and add more lemon or salt if it needs it. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

The breaded cheese

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb (570 g) trappista, Edam or young Gouda, in a block
• 1/2 cup (60 g) all purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) milk
• a pinch fine salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups (150 g) fine dry breadcrumbs

Method

1. Put the flour in the first dish. In the second, beat the eggs with the milk, salt and pepper with the fork until smooth. Put the breadcrumbs in the third. Line them up in that order next to the lined baking sheet.
2. Pat the cheese slices dry with a paper towel. Turn each one in the flour and tap off the excess, dip it in the egg so every side and edge is coated, let the excess drip off, then press it into the crumbs on all sides.
3. Dip each crumbed slice in the egg again and press into the crumbs a second time, patting the edges firmly with your fingers. Lay them on the baking sheet.
4. Put the baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered.

Frying

Ingredients

• about 3 cups (720 ml) sunflower or canola oil
• 1 lemon

Method

1. Pour the oil into the frying pan to a depth of about 1 inch (2.5 cm), clip on the thermometer and heat over medium heat to 350°F (175°C).
2. Fry 3 or 4 slices at a time, without crowding, for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, turning once carefully with the spatula. Lift onto the rack to drain and fry the rest, letting the oil come back to temperature between batches.
3. Let the slices rest on the rack for 1 minute, so the cheese inside settles and does not burn mouths. Serve at once with the tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

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