Cordon Bleu Fritters

The cheese and meat must be chopped as small as possible. Use a food processor - a knife won't give you the squishy texture needed to form the balls. "Dry batter mix" can be any one of several kinds, including a fish batter mix or a beer batter mix.

2 cups finely grated Swiss cheese
2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
1 cup finely chopped cooked ham
2 (8 ounce) packages dry batter mix
12 ounces beer
Canola oil for deep frying (at least 6 cups)

Mix cheese, chicken and ham together; form into small balls, about 1 1/2 tablespoons each. Mix 1 package batter mix with beer. Pour remaining batter mix onto a large plate. With a tablespoon and your fingers, dip each ball into the wet batter, then roll it in the dry batter. Meanwhile, heat canola oil in a large, high-sided pan or kettle to about 375∞F. Do not let oil smoke, and do not cover the pan with a lid. When the oil is hot, drop balls into oil, several at a time, and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Makes 2 dozen balls.