Mozzarella sticks with spicy dipping sauce
50 Minutes + Freezing
Serves 6 As A Nibble
Easy
Try our gooey mozzarella sticks with a punchy dipping sauce. Blocks of mozzarella stand up better to deep-frying and will still give you that cheesy, stringy ooze. These are best cooked from frozen, so they are a perfect nibble to squirrel away for when you have friends round
Ingredients
mozzarella 400g block
plain flour 3 tbsp, heavily seasoned
eggs 2, beaten
panko breadcrumbs 100g
garlic salt 1 tsp
dried oregano 1 tsp
oil for deep-frying
plain flour 3 tbsp, heavily seasoned
eggs 2, beaten
panko breadcrumbs 100g
garlic salt 1 tsp
dried oregano 1 tsp
oil for deep-frying
DIPPING SAUCE
olive oil 1 1/2 tbsp
butter 1 tbsp
onion 1/2, chopped
garlic 1 clove, crushed
dried chilli flakes a good pinch
smoked paprika 1/4 tsp
tinned chopped tomatoes 100g
sugar (any kind) 1/2 tsp
olive oil 1 1/2 tbsp
butter 1 tbsp
onion 1/2, chopped
garlic 1 clove, crushed
dried chilli flakes a good pinch
smoked paprika 1/4 tsp
tinned chopped tomatoes 100g
sugar (any kind) 1/2 tsp
Method
STEP 1
Cut the mozzarella into thick slices then into 2cm-wide fingers and leave to sit on kitchen paper for 10 minutes.
STEP 2
Put the flour, egg and panko into separate bowls. Tip the garlic salt and oregano into the breadcrumbs and toss. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Dip each mozzarella stick first in the flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Line them up on the tray as you coat them, then put in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer into freezer bags.
STEP 3
To make the sauce, heat the olive oil and butter in a pan, then cook the onion and garlic until really soft. Add the chilli flakes, paprika, tomatoes and sugar, and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. Use a stick blender to whizz until smooth, then freeze. When needed, defrost in a pan and simmer for 5 minutes before serving.
STEP 4
Fill a pan no more than 1/3 full of oil and heat to 180C or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Fry the mozzarella sticks in batches, straight from frozen, for 4-5 minutes until golden brown, and drain on kitchen paper. Serve with the warm dipping sauce.
STEP 1
Cut the mozzarella into thick slices then into 2cm-wide fingers and leave to sit on kitchen paper for 10 minutes.
STEP 2
Put the flour, egg and panko into separate bowls. Tip the garlic salt and oregano into the breadcrumbs and toss. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Dip each mozzarella stick first in the flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Line them up on the tray as you coat them, then put in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer into freezer bags.
STEP 3
To make the sauce, heat the olive oil and butter in a pan, then cook the onion and garlic until really soft. Add the chilli flakes, paprika, tomatoes and sugar, and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. Use a stick blender to whizz until smooth, then freeze. When needed, defrost in a pan and simmer for 5 minutes before serving.
STEP 4
Fill a pan no more than 1/3 full of oil and heat to 180C or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Fry the mozzarella sticks in batches, straight from frozen, for 4-5 minutes until golden brown, and drain on kitchen paper. Serve with the warm dipping sauce.
