Finals week is literally in a few days. I've been really bunkering down and studying for my anatomy class. I haven't had any energy, inspiration, or time to really do any cooking or baking. Surprisingly, my cousin, Wes, had been craving something cheesy and crunchy for a while. He loves fried mozzarella sticks. He told me that he and his friends made it before when they were hanging out at one of his friends' house. He prepped everything at home, but he was like "Help me~ please?" So... I did. Hey, studious students need breaks between cram sessions. It is so simple. But please be weary/cautious when frying. (^-^)
My cousin's recipe for mozzarella sticks are super crunchy, because they are double battered. XD Beware of the "club hands!" Designate one hand for the egg dredging and one for the cornstarch and panko. If you are like my cousin, recruit someone to help in one job. XP
I will also include a bonus recipe here... no picture though... It's all Wes and his friend's recipe. Please enjoy!
Tip: When frying in a wok, pot, or pan... and you don't know if your oil is hot? Here is a few tips. I read that if your oil is ready, the surface of oil will have a light rippling effect. But I like to use the bamboo/wooden chopstick method. That's how my mama taught me. Dip the chopstick in the oil, and if you see tiny bubbles form around the chopstick... your oil is ready!
Cheesy Tots!
Ingredients:
½ - 1 package Mozzarella sticks
4 cups of oil (For frying... I used vegetable)
2 - 4 cups Panko breadcrumbs
1 - 1½ cups cornstarch
2 - 4 eggs (beaten)
1 - 1½ tbsp Water or Milk
Cracked Black Pepper (to taste)
How-To:
- Prep mozzarella sticks. Cut into halves, thirds, fourths... or leave them whole!
- In three separate bowls:
Bowl #1: Put in just plain cornstarch, season with a bit of cracked black pepper.
Bowl #2: Just add beaten eggs and water or milk.
Bowl #3: Add in Panko.
- Take mozzarella piece and dredge in cornstarch, then in egg-water/milk mix.
- Redredge back into cornstarch, and then into egg-water/milk mix.
- Now dredge very well in Panko.
- Repeat until all your prepped mozzarellas are done. You can replenish cornstarch, panko, and egg-water/milk mix through the process until mozzarella sticks are finished. (Stay tune for the bonus recipe if you have any leftover!)
- In a wok or pan... or if you have a fryer, heat oil to 350°.
- Gently add a batch (make sure not to crowd the pot) at a time.
- Fry until golden brown.
- Once done, transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
- Sprinkle with a little salt and enjoy!
Easy right? So good. Now... I did promise a bonus recipe (sorry, no picture). So... you're done with the mozzarella sticks, what are you to do with all that left over egg-cornstarch-panko mess? Throwing it away seems rather wasteful. So Wes and his friends came up with the idea of a fried mass. It is like eating fried chips... I think it will be the equivalent to Japanese tempura bits. But my cousin and I just call it, "Fried Bits." Just make sure that you have a little more egg-water/milk mix to hold the panko together for larger pieces of Fried Bits.
Fried Bits Ingredients:
- Leftover egg-water/milk mix
- Leftover cornstarch.
- Leftover Panko.
How-To:
- In whichever bowl is the largest, add everything in and mix!
- While the oil is still hot in the pot/wok/fryer, carefully drop the mixture in.
- Fry until golden brown... which will be fairly quick!
- Fish out Fried Bits with a sieve and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
- Sprinkle with a bit of salt and enjoy!
Have fun everyone! Please fry safely! And have a great holiday!!!!!!! (^0^)/
