Malakoff — Canton of Vaud, Switzerland

A malakoff is a fried cheese fritter built from a firm, meltable cheese — commonly Gruyère or Vacherin Fribourgeois — coated in a light batter or breadcrumbs and deep-fried until the outside is crisp and the inside runs soft. The name is also used loosely for the whole small gathering built around a plate of these fritters, served hot in quick succession. It is reported from the Canton of Vaud, and in particular from villages along the Vaud shore such as Eysins, Begnins, Bursins, Luins and Vinzel, the last of which keeps its own local name for a related fritter shaped more like a ball of grated cheese on bread. It is generally treated as a starter or a light meal on its own rather than as a side dish. To prepare it, cheese is cut into sticks or shaped into small mounds, sometimes over a base of bread, then dipped in egg and coated in flour or breadcrumbs before frying in hot oil until golden. The coating seals in the cheese so it melts inside rather than leaking into the fat, and the oil needs to be hot enough that the coating sets almost at once. Served in earlier times mainly in stick form, in contrast to the rounder Vinzel version made from grated cheese balled onto bread, the distinction between the two shapes has become less sharp over recent years, and many places now serve rounder, sphere-shaped fritters under the same name regardless of the exact recipe used. A glass of white wine and something acidic on the side, such as pickles, is a common accompaniment.