Warm Almond Crusted Manchego Cheese With Hot Garlic Vinaigrette - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons ground almonds
8 ounces manchego cheese, cut about 1-inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
hot garlic vinaigrette, recipe follows
1/4 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
Hot Garlic Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons aged sherry wine vinegar
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Set up three bowls: 1 with flour, seasoned with salt and pepper; 1 with egg and 1 tablespoon of water and seasoned with salt and pepper and 1 with bread crumbs and ground almonds.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Cut cheese into 2 equal pieces. Dredge the cheese first in the flour, then the egg wash and finally in the bread crumbs. Place the cheese in a small cazuela, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese is soft. Immediately drizzle with the Hot Garlic Vinaigrette and sprinkle with slivered almonds and parsley. Serve with warm crusty bread.
For the Vinaigrette: Heat oil over low heat in saute pan. Add garlic and cook until light golden brown. Remove from heat and whisk in the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.