Friday Foto: Mozzarella Sticks

Here’s an admission: Kelli and I are big fans of brew pubs. Or at least, we used to be. (We still are, in a sense, though it’s often exceedingly difficult for me to eat there these days…) Sometimes we’d just get a big craving for pub food – you know the drill…things like wings, chicken fingers, AND mozzarella sticks.

Happily, with a stash of GF bread crumbs (either homemade or store-bought), mozzarella sticks are easy to make, and oh so delicious. Here’s how we do it:

1 pound brick mozzarella cheese (not fresh mozzarella)
¾ cup GF flour
2 tablespoons water
2 cups Italian-seasoned GF breadcrumbs
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

1. Cut the mozzarella into sticks that are about ½ inch square and 3 inches long.
2. Put the flour into a shallow dish. Whisk together the egg with the water in a second shallow dish. Put the breadcrumbs in a third shallow dish. Season each dish (flour, egg wash and breadcrumbs) with a dash of basil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. To keep your hands from getting too messy while breading the cheese, use one hand for the flour and breadcrumbs and the other hand for the egg.
3. Dredge the cheese in the flour, then coat with the egg wash, and then coat with the breadcrumbs.
4. Heat about a ¼-inch-deep worth of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking (if the oil smokes, reduce the heat), begin frying the cheese just until the breadcrumbs are golden. Turn the pieces of breaded cheese until all sides are brown. Be careful not to keep the cheese in the oil for too long as it will melt and ooze out of the breading.
5. Serve with marinara sauce. We make our own starting with a base of diced, no-salt-added canned tomatoes, though go with what you like.

– Pete