Fried Goat Cheese With Pesto and Lemon

Combine goat cheese, parmesan, and cream in a bowl and mix with a spoon until smooth yet firm (I like to add 2 of the 4 tablespoons of cream and mix, adding more as needed to get a smooth yet firm consistency that will hold its shape when rolled). Roll into 12 balls and freeze for 30 minutes.

While freezing, place the egg into a bowl and whisk well. Pour the pork panko onto a plate and set both aside.

After freezing, dip the balls into the egg and then roll in the panko, pressing to ensure it sticks well. Repeat this process and transfer the dipped balls to the freezer again for another 30 minutes to 1 hour (if you skip this, they will fall apart during frying).

Heat a 1 inch deep layer of avocado oil to 375-400ºF in a small pot or pan (using a small pot allows the oil to heat faster and since they cook quickly, doing a few batches works well and minimizes the amount of oil you need to use). Fry the balls in batches of 4, turning until golden on all sides, about 1 minute total. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel lined plate and immediately sprinkle with salt (if the pork panko is seasoned you can skip this salting).

To serve, mix the pesto with the zest. Spoon a bit of pesto onto a serving plate. Top with fried goat cheese. Serve.