Bulete, Romanian cheese, potato and ham balls

Name: Bulete, Romanian cheese, potato and ham balls
Ingredients: 1 large potato (250 g); 1000 ml water; 150 g Delaco semi-hard cheese; 150 g cooked pressed ham; 2 eggs; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 1 teaspoon sweet paprika; 200 g breadcrumbs; 250 ml oil

Appetizers - Bulete, Romanian cheese, potato and ham balls by Vasilica H. - Recipia

Bulete, Romanian cheese, potato and ham balls, brown without being turned when fully submerged in oil. The partly boiled potato is grated with the ham and cheese, and the breadcrumbs make a crisp crust; I prefer a firm cheese that grates cleanly and doesn’t stick to the grater. Preparation: 20 minutes. Cooking: 24 minutes. Rest: 10 minutes. Total time: 54 minutes. Servings: 4. About 550 kcal and 25 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

1 large potato (250 g)
1000 ml water
150 g Delaco semi-hard cheese
150 g cooked pressed ham
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
200 g breadcrumbs
250 ml oil

Preparation

1. Wash the potato and put it on to boil, unpeeled, in 1000 ml of water. Boil for 14 minutes, until a fork goes in with some resistance; it should still be only half cooked. 2. Rinse the potato under cold running water and leave it to cool for 10 minutes. Peel it, then grate it with the cheese and cooked pressed ham. 3. Put everything in a bowl, add the eggs, pepper and sweet paprika, and mix well. Shape into walnut-sized balls and roll them through the breadcrumbs several times, until evenly coated. 4. Heat the oil in a small nonstick pot for 3 minutes, until it glistens. 5. Fry the balls in three batches: the first for 3 minutes, then the others for 2 minutes each, until golden. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels.

Notes

In the small, narrow pot, the 250 ml of oil comes above the balls. They keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days; I fry them shortly before serving and serve them warm, with slices of cucumber and tomato. For grating, choose a firm cheese; if the ham is moist, pat it dry well first. They’re like little meatballs with a breadcrumb crust; for a version without ham, use another 150 g of cheese. Contains dairy, eggs and gluten.