This was one of the hors d’oeuvres at the Tribute Dinner honoring Emeril Lagasse at the Loews Miami Beach in 2009. We chose this as a vegetarian option, but it’s really the perfect canapé: it’s crunchy and bite-size, and the warm, tangy, salty goat cheese simply explodes in your mouth. And it goes so well with Champagne!
MAKES 35
1 pound goat cheese
1 cup mixture of finely diced carrot, celery, and onion
1 package frozen kataifi dough, defrosted
Unsalted butter, melted
Heat the oven to 425°F.
In a bowl, mix the cheese and vegetables together. Set aside.
Pull off a piece of kataifi, and spread it out to measure 1 × 4 inches. Brush it with melted butter. Roll some of the cheese mixture into a 1 × ½-inch cylinder, and wrap it up in the dough. Repeat with the remaining filling and kataifi.
Bake on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.
