These make for a great appetizer or snack, though they’re a lot of work for just a snack.
The double-panko makes these really crunchy and delicious! My guess is you could fry these ahead of time, then freeze them for re-heating in the oven when you want some of them. Or you can freeze them after breading them to cook them whenever convenient.
This recipe is based on a Bon Appetit recipe.
What you’ll need
- 0.5 pound mozzarella—don’t use fresh mozzarella, it should be low moisture
- 0.75 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups panko
- 1.5t garlic powder
- 1.5t onion powder
- 1t dried Italian spices
- 0.75t crushed red pepper flakes
- Vegetable oil for deep-frying
- Kosher salt
- Some kind of delicious dipping sauce (optional)
What to do
Cut the mozzarella into 3.5” X 0.5” sticks. Add the flour to a 1-gallon plastic bag, then whisk the eggs in a small shallow bowl. Mix the panko and spices in a second shallow bowl.
Add the cheese sticks to the bag of flour and toss them until coated. Then one stick at a time, dip it in the egg mixture before rolling it in the panko and spices. Maybe press if the panko isn’t sticking. Do this for each stick, putting each on a wire rack. Now for the best part, repeat the egg and panko steps for all of the sticks. The result is mozzarella sticks with a crazy amount of panko on them. Transfer the wire racks to the freezer for at least an hour before frying.
Now it’s time to cook. Heat about 2” of oil in whatever vessel you use for frying to 350°. Working in batches, fry the mozzarella sticks until golden brown and crisp—about 2 or so minutes per batch. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt while still hot.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce—a spicy marinara sauce is perfect for these.
Leave a Reply