Lancashire Cheese Puffs
from https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/, by Stosie Madi

Rich and full-flavoured but light as a feather in texture, these deep-fried little bites of deliciousness are a simple mixture of egg, potato and Lancashire cheese – they taste so good, however, that you should seriously consider doubling up on the quantities. Make sure you reserve the potato skins to make Stosie's other incredible snack, her famous potato scratchings.

1 1/8 lb of floury potatoes, such as Maris Pipers [baking potatoes]
8 3/4 oz of Lancashire cheese*, grated
2 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
3 1/2 oz of potato flour, or cornflour
1 2/3 fl oz of double cream
1 handful of soft herbs, such as parsley, chopped (wild garlic is also nice when in season)
vegetable oil, for deep frying
salt pepper

*Crumbly by nature, Lancashire is a mild English cow's-milk cheese with a fresh milky, moist finish and slightly tangy flavour. Unlike the other Lancashire varieties, this is made from a single day's milk and resembles other crumbly cheeses such as Cheshire and Wensleydale as it tends to be matured for only 6–8 weeks. A good, true Lancashire has a texture that is light and fluffy (not dense and firm like Cheddar), and a buttery, long-lasting flavour with a zippy, lactic, fresh tang.

Begin by baking the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Prick the potatoes with a fork and place in the oven for 1 hour or until the potato is soft and fluffy on the inside.

Whilst still warm, halve the potatoes and scoop out the flesh. Reserve the skins to make potato scratchings.

Place the potato flesh in a large bowl and stir in the grated cheese, egg yolks, potato flour and cream. Gently beat with a wooden spoon until the cheese has melted and you have a stiff, smooth mixture with no lumps.

Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks in a separate bowl, then gently fold into the potato mixture, taking care to keep the whites as aerated as possible.

Season well with salt and pepper and fold in the chopped herbs.

Heat a deep-fat fryer or deep pan of oil to 180°C.

Carefully drop quenelles or spoonfuls of the mixture into the oil – they will gently puff up. Keep turning with a spoon until you have a nice even golden colour all over. You may need to cook the puffs in batches, depending on how big your pan is.

Drain on absorbent paper, sprinkle with sea salt and serve whilst piping hot. Stosie usually serves these puffs with a spicy tomato sauce, or on the side of a good melted brie-like cheese for dipping (and double-cheese deliciousness). They're also delicious with liberally grated truffle on top!