Potato and Goat Cheese Patties

My go-to vegetarian Passover dish is the (already published, but I just added a snazzy new picture) cheese cutlets. However, someone just suggested this potato dish to me as an alternative option and I just knew I had to try it.

It is definitely not the kind of food you should eat every day (wouldn't it be great if we could, though?) but it is absolute decadent deliciousness: the crispiness of the crumbs, the creaminess of  mashed potatoes and at the center the gooey salty goodness of goat cheese.

This is a very free-form recipe, so the ingredients are all approximate.  Note that the mashed potatoes must be cold, so ideally you want to put them in the fridge overnight or used leftover mash.

Potato and Goat Cheese Patties

Ingredients: 

- 3-4 large potatoes, cooked and mashed into a pretty smooth mash, then refrigerated until very cold. 

-  1 log or package of fresh soft(ish) goat cheese 

- 2 eggs

- about 1 cup of breadcrumbs (regular or GF) or matzo meal. I recommend using seasoned breadcrumbs, or adding some dried herbs to regular breadcrumbs/matzo meal in order to give it an extra zing. 

- Canola or vegetable oil for deep frying.  

- Salt and pepper

Preparation: 

1. Slice the goat cheese into thin disks or small chunks (it will get messy, don't worry about it). 

2. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Put the breadcrumbs on a large plate, and prepare another clean plate for the rolled patties.

3. Season the mashed potatoes well with salt and pepper and stir. Take a ping-pong sized ball of cold mashed potatoes in your hands and flatten it on the palm of one hand to make a disk. Place a chunk of goat's cheese in the center of the disk and then "wrap" the potatoes around it. You will probably need to take an extra bit of potatoes in order to "close" the patty. You want to make sure that the cheese is completely enclosed in the mashed potatoes and isn't peeking out. 

4. Dip the patty in the egg and then roll it in the breadcrumbs until it is coated. Repeat these two stages until you have made all of the patties. 

5. Heat the oil in deep pan/deep-fryer until very hot (about 375 F/190 C). Carefully fry the patties in the oil, turning them if necessary to make sure that they are fried on all sides. When they are a deep golden-brown remove from heat, drain on paper towel and serve hot.