Fried Goat Cheese & Honey

On our most recent trip to Tapeo for $5 tapas at the bar, I asked the bartender what her favorite tapas was and she told me it was the Queso Con Miel (Goat cheese with honey and sweet onion). Since I asked after Joe and I had closed out our tab and it sounded easy enough, I decided to make some at home (despite the fact that I had not yet tried their version) and although it was simple, it was delicious.

Fried Goat Cheese & Honey (w/ Onions)
Ingredients:

• 1/2 T butter
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 tsp white truffle oil (optional)
• 1 baguette
• Small log of goat cheese
• 1/2 C flour
• 1 egg (slightly beaten)
• 1/2 C panko breadcrumbs seasoned with 1t oregano
• Honey

Recipe:

1. Slice the onion into half moons about 1/4 in. thick. Set a pan over medium low heat and melt the butter in the pan. Then, add the sliced onions and cook slowly over low heat until it is caramelized and fragrant. This should take about 20 minutes if done correctly so let it sit on a low heat stirring them only every 5 minutes or so (it could take longer depending on the size of your onion). At the end, hit it with just a hint of truffle oil to enhance it further.
2. While the onions are caramelizing, cut a small log of goat cheese into 1/2 in. thick rounds. Coat each in flour, dip it into the egg wash (the beaten egg) and then coat it with the panko bread crumbs. This should create a nice coating all around the cheese round. Set it on a parchment paper and finish coating the rest of the log. When complete set it in the fridge for 5 minutes to set up.
3. Slice a baguette into 1/2 thick slices and toast until golden brown. You can spray it with a bit of Pam to help it along.
4. When the onions are done, remove them from the pan and place them on your serving platter. In the same pan heat up some olive oil over medium heat and fry the coated goat cheese until they are golden brown on each side. 
5. Place the goat cheese on top of the onions and drizzle about 2 T of honey on top of it. You can add more if you like things a bit sweeter. 
6. Serve with the toasted baguette.

This is great as a snack or as an appetizer. It's simple but packed full of flavor and I can never resist anything that's both sweet and salty! I'm going to have to try it at Tapeo, but this version is a delicious snack as well!