Break out the supermarket grade mozzarella and reduce the bread to crumbs, its time to get messy with a Masterstroke in Crunchy Mozzarella sticks. Forget the half-assed snacks from the high street, these tasty nibbles include a perfectly seasoned outer-edge hiding an irresistable melty interior. And the best bit, you can make a huge batch in one go, and freeze them for cooking later. So, let’s turn the fryer up to eleven, its time to get cheesy!
A Masterstroke in Crunchy Mozzarella Sticks
Equipment
- 3 Bowls
- 1 Tray
- 1 Sealable Plastic Container
Ingredients
- 8g (1½tsp) Garlic Powder
- 1g (1tsp) Oregano
- 6g (1½tsp) Paprika
- 15g (3tsp) Grated Parmesan
- 5g (⅔tsp) Salt
- 2g (½tsp) Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 150g (5oz) Breadcrumbs
- 30g (1oz) All Purpose Flour
- 200g (4) Eggs
- 80g (3oz) Milk
- 500g 1lb Basic Mozzarella
Instructions
- First of all, this will get messy, so give yourself a bit of space
- Line a tray that will fit in your freezer with a piece of grease-proof paper
- Take a 500g block of standard Mozzarella, and chop it into sticks approximately 9cm long and 1½cm wide
- Take 3 shallow bowls with a flat base around 10cm wide
- In the first bowl, sift 30g of All Purpose Flour
- In the second bowl, whisk together 4 Eggs and 80g of Milk
- Next, thoroughly mix together 8g Garlic Powder, 1g Oregano, 6g Paprika, 15g Grated Parmesan, 5g Salt, and 2g Black Pepper, then throw it into a sealed container along with 150g of Breadcrumbs and shake gingerly. Decant the resulting mix into the third bowl
- In turn, dust each Mozzarella stick with flour so the entire thing is coated with a thin layer and no lumps remain
- Dip the floured mozzarella into the egg/milk bowl, again until it is entirely covered. Be careful, however, as it may not stick to the flour first time
- Once satisfyingly eggy, dip the stick into the breadcrumb mix and coat entirely. Give it a stir with your fingers if the dust begins to settle at the bottom
- We'll dip the stick twice, so return it to the egg bowl for another coating, then once again drop it into the breadcrumbs to ensure no gaps remain
- Once well and truly coated, place the stick on the grease-proof paper, and repeat until all of the mozzarella sticks have received the flour, egg, and breadcrumb treatment. Then put the whole thing in the freezer until frozen
- When you are ready to indulge, heat a pan of sunflower oil at least 4cm deep to 180℃, and fry from frozen for exactly 2 minutes and 15 seconds
- Serve with a tasty dip such as Extra Special Barbecue Sauce, A Formerly Top Secret Chili Sauce, Tomato and Basil Marinara Sauce, or whatever feels appropriate!
Nutrition
Get Ready for the Complete Crunchy Mozzarella Sticks Experience
Breadcrumbs – When started developing this recipe, I went the whole hog, baking my own bread, drying it out and blitzing it in the blender. However, this proved entirely unnecessary, as the role of the the crumb is to provide crunchiness and texture, with the flavours lurking elsewhere. As a result, the pre-made store stuff works perfectly well, and if anything, offers a crunchier result thanks to its strand like qualities.
Get Experimenting – Here, you will find my favoured combination of herbs and spices for a delectable set of crunchy mozzarella sticks. However, those with a mind for innovation can delve into the spice cupboard and start mixing up their very own batch of crispy coating. Just make sure to keep the process the same, and only add dry ingredients to the breadcrumbs.
Dipping and Consuming – As great as mozzarella sticks are on their own, they can be enhanced with the liberal application of dipping sauce. Therefore, partner them up with small bowl of Extra Special Barbecue Sauce, A Formerly Top Secret Chili Sauce, Tomato and Basil Marinara Sauce, or whatever takes your fancy!
Not Just for the Cheese Lovers – Despite the quite obvious cheese theme for this recipe, the process will work just as well for other ingredients. As a result, hungry folks can try switching out the mozzarella for other tasty ingredients such as chicken strips, pork loin, egg plant, or whatever springs to mind. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time to compliment whatever items you decide to batter and deep fry.
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