Friday, February 15, 2013

Bacon 'Kesong Puti' Truffles with Roasted Bell Peppers

I'm such a nutcase and a terrible writer.  At first I was too hesitant to change the post title, which initially was "Bacon Goat Cheese Truffles with Roasted Bell Peppers.  This was our Christmas appetizer which I reinvented  but not that successful, or was it?
Truffles? Cheese Truffles?
I know, whenever we hear of truffles, the first thing that comes to mind is chocolate, or for the real gourmands, the 'fruiting body of mushrooms' which are rare and expensive ingredients for gourmet recipes.
Well, to tell you a little something about the post title, I actually first did the recipe using goat cheese which we got from Mr. Moo's (in Tagaytay), since we celebrated our Christmas and New Year at Tagaytay.  But then since it really looked appetizing all of us got so excited and immediately ate it enveloping each ball with crispy romaine lettuce, I forgot to take pictures of them.
So, on our way down back to Manila, after New Year's Day, we went back to Mr. Moo's, but apparently they run out of goat cheese, so I got instead Kesong Puti, also known as white carabao's milk cheese.

 I didn't actually thought whether it would turn out the same.  When you actually look at each kind they look the same, but if you go deeper to the details, such as the texture, taste and the science behind it, it is very different.
Goat cheese, sometimes called chevre, is a cheese product made from the milk of goats.  It is distinctive due to the tangy flavor of goat milk, as compared to 'farmer's cheese' ("kesong puti")which is soaked in brine and thus salty.  Goat cheese are leaner than carabao's and are more gooey when cooked or heated.  Kesong Puti, is like local Italian Mozzarella but saltier.
 What I found wrong about using Kesong Puti for my second try of the same recipe, is that it is not as compact as it was when I used goat cheese.  Thus it was way too hard to make it into a ball. Another thing is  I used way too many bacon bits which my bosses requested.
But as you can see, I somehow managed to make a few.  Which everyone actually enjoyed, without having to compare with the first try, which for me was better.  It did turned out to be quite delicious.

Bacon 'Kesong Puti' Truffles with Roasted Bell Peppers

TOTAL TIME: 45 MINUTES

ingredients:

8 ounces plain goat cheese, softened (or 'kesong puti')
1/2 cup chopped roasted red pepper
3 slices thick-cut bacon, fried and chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup pistachios, chopped and crushed

directions:

In a large bowl, combine softened goat cheese with peppers, bacon, garlic salt and pepper. Using a large spoon, spatula or even your hands, mix and stir until combined well and everything seems equally distributed through the goat cheese.
Roll the goat cheese into 1/2-1 inch balls (or smaller or larger, depending on your preference), then roll through the pistachios to coat. Set on a plate and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. These can be made well ahead of time - I'd say at least about 3 days.
Store in the fridge!

3 comments:

  1. ang sarap naman. sarap i dessert

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Phioxee! Do visit again and check out more of my newly-discovered recipes:)

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