Smažený sýr — Czech Crispy Breaded Cheese with Tartar Sauce

Drain the pickles and capers, then weigh the amounts needed and pat their surfaces dry with a paper towel. Finely dice the pickles and peeled shallot, and chop the capers. Do not add the brine to the sauce: the small pieces should give it texture but should not thin the mayonnaise.

Combine all the mayonnaise with the pickles, shallot, capers, mustard, lemon juice and pepper. Mix thoroughly until the additions are evenly distributed throughout the thick sauce. Cover and refrigerate while preparing the cheese to keep the sauce cool and allow the flavors to blend.

Cut all the Edam into 4 equal slices weighing 100 g each, approximately 1.5 cm thick and approximately 8 × 8 cm across. Do not stack thin slices to make each portion; pat every surface of the cheese dry, especially the edges. Set out 3 shallow dishes: one with all the flour, one with the beaten eggs and one with all the breadcrumbs. Place a flat plate alongside, large enough to hold all the breaded slices in a single layer.

Coat each slice of cheese with flour on all sides and shake off the loose excess. Dip in the egg, let the excess drip off, then coat thoroughly in breadcrumbs, pressing them gently onto the sides and corners as well. Dip in the egg again, then coat in breadcrumbs, without adding another layer of flour; the finished coating should be continuous, with no exposed cheese and no cracks. Arrange all 4 slices on the plate and discard the unused flour, egg and breadcrumbs after breading.

Loosely cover the plate and refrigerate the cheese for approximately 20 minutes to let the coating set; do not freeze. During approximately the last 10 minutes of chilling, pour all the oil into a dry, heavy-bottomed pot approximately 22 cm in diameter with a capacity of at least 4 l; the oil will be approximately 4 cm deep. Heat over medium heat to approximately 170–175°C, without letting it smoke. Set out a wide slotted spoon, a spatula and a wire rack over a baking sheet for draining.

Carefully lower 2 chilled slices into the oil so they lie side by side without touching; leave the remaining slices in the refrigerator. The coating should sizzle evenly right away, without darkening rapidly. Fry for approximately 3–4 minutes in total at approximately 170–175°C, turning once halfway through with a wide spatula, until both sides are distinctly golden and crisp; do not pierce with a fork and do not squeeze with tongs. If a small drop of cheese starts to leak out, remove that slice immediately, before the coating opens further. Lift the cooked slices out with the slotted spoon, let them drain briefly over the pot, then transfer to the rack over the baking sheet without covering.

After approximately 1 minute of draining, serve the first 2 slices, 1 per serving, dividing half the prepared tartar sauce alongside them. Do not pour the sauce over the breading, so it stays crisp. When cut open, the center should be hot, soft and stretchy; serve without waiting for the next batch, before the cheese begins to firm up.

Remove loose crumbs from the oil with the slotted spoon and let the oil return to approximately 170–175°C. Fry the remaining 2 slices for approximately 3–4 minutes, again turning halfway through, until the coating is golden; allow approximately 10 minutes for both batches, including bringing the oil back to temperature. Drain on the rack in the same way for approximately 1 minute and serve immediately with the remaining sauce, 1 slice per serving. This makes 4 servings in total, using all the sauce. Let the frying oil cool and do not add it to the dish.