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Fried Cheese with a Spiced Crust

Source of Recipe

From "The Ultimate Cook Book" by Bruce Weinstein


Recipe Introduction

"Cheese threatens to liquefy under the slightest heat, so cheese strips need a thin dusting of flour before they're battered and fried: the flour barrier seals in the gooey goodness. Pan-frying these sticks lets the coating get deeply browned and extra crunchy."

List of Ingredients

◦  ½ cup all-purpose flour
◦  2 large eggs
◦  2 cups plain dried bread crumbs
◦  1 Tbsp paprika
◦  1 tsp onion powder
◦  1 tsp dried thyme
◦  ½ tsp salt, plus additional to taste
◦  ¼ tsp cayenne
◦  3 Tbsp olive oil
◦  ½ pound frozen mozzarella, Jarlsberg, Cheddar, Emmentaler, or Gouda, cut into thin spears about 3 inches long, 1 inch wide, and ½ inch thick


Recipe

Place the flour in a shallow soup bowl and set it on your work surface, the first in a lineup. Crack the eggs in a second soup bowl; lightly beat them with a fork. Finally, mix the bread crumbs, paprika, onion powder, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and the cayenne in a third soup plate. Dip all the cheese sticks in the flour, just enough to give them a light coating. Set aside on a wire rack.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, then add the olive oil. Dip a coated cheese stick in the eggs, let the excess drip off, then roll it in the breadcrumb mixture to coat lightly. Slip it into the skillet, then quickly make a few more coated cheese sticks and get them into the skillet.

Fry undisturbed until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so the sticks don't burn, lowering the heat if they brown too quickly. Flip and continue cooking until browned on both sides, about 2 more minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, then continue making more cheese sticks. Season with additional salt, if desired, and serve at once.


Makes 6 servings (or 12 pieces)



â—¦ Note:
Freezing helps cheese hold its shape as you cut and coat it. Place any of these cheeses in the freezer for about 20 minutes before you slice them.

â—¦ Variations:
You can also use soft cheeses like Brie, Camembert, or cambozola. Freeze for 1 hour, then remove the rind and cut the firmed-up cheese into spears as indicated. Work quickly so they don't defrost before they get into the hot oil.

â—¦ This crust is also good on zucchini strips or summer squash rounds. Cut either into strips about the same size as the cheese strips before coating, dredging, and frying.