Goats' cheese quenelles with pea, mint and radish salad

Ingredients

• vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 500g/1lb 2oz goats’ cheese
• plain flour, for dusting
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• 100g/3½oz breadcrumbs
• 400g/14oz fresh peas
• 50g/1¾oz pea shoots
• 3 breakfast radishes, thinly sliced on a mandoline
• handful of mint leaves, chopped
• 2 lemons, zest and juice
• olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180C/350F, or heat the oil in a deep, heavy-based pan until a breadcrumb sizzles and goes brown when dropped into the oil. (Caution: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)

2. Soften the goats’ cheese a little by beating it with a spoon. Shape it into quenelles using two tablespoons and roll them in flour.

3. Dip them in the beaten egg and then roll them in breadcrumbs to coat.

4. Deep fry for a few minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden-brown.

5. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.

6. For the salad, cook the peas in a pan of boiling water for about 30 seconds, just enough to blanch them. (You can include a few whole pods too if you like.) Drain and put into a bowl of ice-cold water.

7. Refresh the peashoots by dipping them in cold water. Drain them and put in a bowl along with the drained peas, radish, mint and lemon zest.

8. In a jug, mix a little olive oil with a big squeeze of lemon juice and whisk together with salt and pepper to make a dressing.

9. To serve, dress the salad and place the goats’ cheese quenelles on top.