Meatballs
Put the mince, breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, egg, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
Using a tablespoon, remove enough of the mince mixture to make a meatball of about 3-4cm in diameter.
Put a cheese square in the middle and shape close the mince around it until the cheese is entirely enveloped.
Roll into a neat ball and set aside. Repeat with the rest of the mince mixture.
Crumbs
Put the flour in a wide bowl, add the paprika and season with salt and pepper. Mix with a fork and set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until the whites and yolks are only just combined.
Put the crumbs in a third bowl.
To finish
Now, working on meatball at a time, dip the meatballs in the flour mixture, then in the egg, and lastly in the crumbs so it’s evenly covered, then put it on a serving tray or baking sheets. Repeat until all the meatballs are covered in crumbs.
Heat the oil* in a pot (you’ll need about 4cm of oil) and deep-fry the meatballs in batches until golden brown.
Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen towel or a drying rack over a baking sheet.
Serve warm with sweet chilli sauce as a dipping sauce.
*Test the oil’s heat using a few crumbs. If it starts smoking, the oil is too hot. Be very careful and keep the oil to a medium heat throughout.
TIP Make your own breadcrumbs with slices of bread and a food processor. Fresh bread works too, but two- to three-day-old bread works better.
