Mozarella Sticks

Breaded and fried mozzarella with a homemade simple marinara sauce, and basil, garlic and caper sauce, makes the most perfect and decadent appetizer!  As the mozzarella has to be frozen for this recipe it's great to make ahead of time and then take it out when you want it. If you’re gluten-free, simply substitute the flour for a GF flour and the breadcrumbs for GF breadcrumbs.

Ingredients:

Serves 2 - 4 

• Breaded Mozzarella:

• 1 x 16oz block of hard mozzarella 

• 1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs

• 2 tbsp corn meal

• 2 tbsp grated parmesan 

• pinch of salt and pepper

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup flour

• Marinara Sauce:

• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped

• 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp dried

• pinch of salt and pepper

• 2- 3 tbsp olive oil

• 3 cups / 450g Sieved Italian tomatoes / passata

• 1/2 -1 cup of vegetable / chicken stock or water 

Basil, Garlic and Caper Sauce

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves

• 1 tbsp capers

• 2 cloves of garlic

• Pinch of salt and pepper

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1 tsp honey

3 - 4 cups of sunflower / vegetable oil to fry with

Method:

Mozzarella Sticks:

1. Start by preparing the breaded mozzarella

2. Cut the block of mozzarella length ways into 4 pieces about 1.5 cm thick each

3. Mix together the breadcrumbs, cornmeal, parmesan, salt and pepper on a large plate

4. pop the flour into a separate bowl

5. Whisk the egg in another bowl

6. First dunk one piece of mozzarella in the flour, then the egg making sure it is well coated

7. Then roll int he breadcrumbs making sure you pat down and give it a really good coating

8. Repeat this process with all pieces of mozzarella

9. Place into a freezer bag or on a plate and place in the freezer for 1 hour minimum

10. You can make these in advance and as they freeze for up to a month

Marinara Sauce  

1. While they are freezing, you can make the marinara sauce

2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan on a low to medium heat

3. Add the onions and garlic and stir until they are light brown

4. Add the chopped oregano, then pour in the sieved tomatoes

5. Add and pinch of salt and pepper

6. Add 1/2 cup of stock or water

7. Leave to simmer for 20 -30 minutes stirring occasionally

8. Halfway through check to see if it is becoming too thick add another 1/2 cup of stock or water, this depends how thick you like your sauce so adjust to taste.

Basil, Caper, and Garlic sauce:

• Simply add ingredients to a blender and whizz until smooth. This keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Serving Time: 

1. Once the sauce is cooked you can now fry the mozzarella

2. Heat 1 - 2 inches of oil in a deep frying pan until medium-hot. It should be deep enough to cook the whole stick fully covered and submerged. Make sure you turn it if there’s not enough oil to make sure all sides are cooked.

3. You can test the heat by dropping a small piece of bread into the oil, it will fizzle quickly when the oil is hot enough

4. Carefully place the frozen mozzarella into the oil, using a slider or spoon

5. Let the mozzarella fry for about 30 seconds until golden brown on one side, then turn it to fry the other side

6. It will be ready when it’s brown and crispy and you can start to see the mozzarella oozing out slightly

7. Take out of the oil and place on a paper towel to drain any excess oil

8. Then straight onto a serving plate with a few spoons of the marinara sauce over the top

9. Eat straight away while the cheese is still hot and gooey

Just cook one piece at a time as the temperature of the oil goes down a lot when you add the frozen mozzarella in. 

You can save the other pieces of Mozzarella for another day.  One piece is a good size for two people to share as a small appetizer.