Tuesday, 25 February 2014

“Creamozzagouda” sticks



Appetizing...
 

Who would have ever thought that homemade mozzarella sticks were even attemptable, (who knew attemptable was even a word :) I had no idea what to make for this post, I had planned doughnuts, however was in no mood to deal with yeast. So I began asking my friends and family what are their favorite appetizer items on a restaurant’s menu. I got wings, and shrimp both already on the blog, then someone said if mozzarella sticks are on a menu they have to order it, And I got very excited.


Mozzarella sticks bring me back to my college days. That student activity center dished out more mozzarella sticks than fries. They had a huge frozen bag that they tossed in the oil for a few minutes and served with marinara. This is a recipe I have never ever, ever, ever, ever, tried before, or even thought of trying. I was never a mozzarella stick fan in the first place. All the times I watched my friends devouring them I never ordered it, I’ve never even had more than two bites of it. So here I am making homemade versions. 




It’s all good and well to slice some mozzarella cheese or buy the ready made sticks, bread them and fry, but what if you wanted to include more than just mozzarella? Everyone who reads this blog should know of my undying love for smoked gouda, so it’s no question that it had to be in it. But i needed a binder, I did not want any eggs or anything else that's not cheese in the filling. The only logical easy to find cheese binder to use would be cream cheese. Hence I created a creamozzagouda stick. They are truly delicious, not oily, not too salty, Italian panko breadcrumbs were a perfect choice.  However I do feel that to eat more than 2 is a bit over the top (I’m still not a member of the fried cheese club) Treat yourself to one of these.



Ingredients (Printable recipe)


2 cups Shredded Mozzarella
4 oz shredded smoked gouda
4 oz cream cheese
2 cup flour
3 eggs
3 cups Italian panko breadcrumbs
Oil for deep frying

 Sauce
 I used Prego Pizzeria style pizza sauce



Instructions


  • In a bowl combine mozzarella, smoked gouda and cream cheese. Knead the mixture together as if you were kneading a ball of dough
  • Once it has come together, portion into small balls and roll into cylindrical shapes
  • Dredge lightly in some flour, and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour
  • Heat oil to 375 degrees
  • Set up breading station, Beat eggs in a bowl, place panko breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and flour in another shallow dish
  • Remove cheese from the freezer and dip into the egg, then flour, then egg again and lastly the breadcrumbs
  • After they are breaded and the oil it hot fry in batches of 5 or 6
  • They take approximately 45 seconds to 1 minute to be done
  • Serve immediately while hot, with the sauce on the side. 




Greedy tips:

  • Be sure to double bread with flour and egg before the panko it gives it a crunchier and thicker outer coating
  • Make sure to freeze the cheese solid before frying
  • They cook very quickly, once the breading turns golden brown it’s ready
  • If you fry too long the cheese will begin to escape and you will end up with hollow mozzarella sticks

Xoxo Greedygirl

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