Bleeding Espresso

15 April 2009

What’s Cooking Wednesday: Fried Mozzarella Sticks and Dipping Sauce

Today’s What’s Cooking Wednesday recipe is for those of you who think you have to go to a restaurant or buy the pre-packaged frozen version to enjoy fried mozzarella sticks. You don’t!

All you need is some good, fresh mozzarella and the usual items for breading, and you’re good to go.

What I made are actually disks not sticks, but that’s because our mozzarella comes in small balls, so I thought it would be easier just to work with it rather than try to make sticks. You’re welcome to cut as you wish.

Fried Mozzarella Sticks

Mozzarella
Ingredients for breading listed in Breaded Veal Cutlets (see caveat below regarding measurements)
Olive oil for frying

1. To prepare the mozzarella, cut it into sticks or disks; you can also buy pre-prepared sticks for this.

2. Dredge the mozzarella first in flour before dipping in egg and then the breadcrumb mixture. Unless you’re making a lot of mozzarella, you won’t need as much of the ingredients as listed in the cutlet recipe, so just play around with the measurements a bit until you get the right mix for your taste.

3. Fry breaded mozzarella in hot olive oil or vegetable oil if you like. Put enough oil in the pan so the sticks are about half-submerged. Let them fry for about 15 seconds on each side and then put them on paper towels to drain.

Fried Mozzarella Sticks Dipping Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, cut into a few pieces
Small can of tomato sauce or canned tomatoes run through grinder
1/4 cup of water
Oregano
Salt and sugar to taste

1. Heat olive oil in small pan and then add garlic and saute for a minute or two, but don’t let it brown.

2. Add tomato sauce and water.

3. Add oregano, salt, and a pinch of sugar if you like, which can cut the acidity of the tomatoes.

4. Let simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Serve hot alongside fried mozzarella sticks.

Buon appetito!

17 beans of wisdom »

17 beans of wisdom to “What’s Cooking Wednesday: Fried Mozzarella Sticks and Dipping Sauce”

Gil on 15 Apr 2009 at 8:28 am #

Your actually sound delicious! The ones that I’ve tried at restaurants here in the US were actually only tried and not really eaten.

Yes I’ve had some not so good examples myself….
ilva on 15 Apr 2009 at 8:56 am #

LOOOOVLY, must make it-they will love it here!

ilva’s last blog post..Crostini With Asparagus Cream And Smoked Pancetta

Hope they’re a hit, Ilva!
nyc/caribbean ragazza on 15 Apr 2009 at 10:58 am #

I love these. Very nice photos. Yum.

nyc/caribbean ragazza’s last blog post..What’s Cooking Wednesday – Tomato & Goat Cheese Tarts

Thanks, and do I see “goat” up there…mmmmm
joanne at frutto della passione on 15 Apr 2009 at 11:10 am #

Yum, I love these, I’ve even made them using *pastella*.

joanne at frutto della passione’s last blog post..Forte e gentile, tu sei abruzzese

Mmm sounds great, Joanne!
erin :: the olive notes on 15 Apr 2009 at 11:41 am #

these are making me want to skip work today to make this recipe

erin :: the olive notes’s last blog post..musical notes and a sunrise

Enjoy, whenever you can make them
Ciaochowlinda on 15 Apr 2009 at 12:15 pm #

These look positively irresistible.

Ciaochowlinda’s last blog post..Pear Apple Crostata

They sure were when I made them…I ate them all before P even got home!
City Girl on 15 Apr 2009 at 12:22 pm #

Yum – silly question for you – I always thought fried mozarella is American more than Italian – is it?

They do have it here in restaurants, but I’m not sure who “invented” it
Kim B. on 15 Apr 2009 at 1:00 pm #

hey it didn’t include my comment!!! which was VERY articulate . . .

“drooling”

Hah…must’ve gotten on the keyboard
KC on 15 Apr 2009 at 3:05 pm #

Mmmm! That’s one of my favorite things to do with leftover mozzarella (on the rare occasion that there is any.)

KC’s last blog post..Recycling

I know…I had to buy some just to make this!
elra on 15 Apr 2009 at 4:10 pm #

I am loving this fried mozarella. Delicious.
Cheers,
elra

elra’s last blog post..Croissant, My First and Successful…

If you make it, let me know!
City Girl on 15 Apr 2009 at 4:21 pm #

Good to know – btw, finally got my WCW recipe up – clearly was off in dessert-land when I should have been in mozarella or pizza land LOL

City Girl’s last blog post..What’s Cooking Wednesday – Chocolate Strata with Raspberry Sauce

Mmm desserts are great too
Kim B. on 15 Apr 2009 at 5:15 pm #

am finally getting caught up on what i missed while I was in torino (no internet at marco’s parents’) . . .thanks for all you put together for freelance writing week. You put a lot of thought and care into creating a very useful resource– and were most generous in sharing your best tips and sources. Thanks for that, and I look forward to the second week!

Great Kim…it has arrived!
Amber on 15 Apr 2009 at 8:47 pm #

Is it possible that there are no calories in this recipe? Wait. It looks sooo good, who cares about hip expansion!

Amber’s last blog post..Where’s The Baby?

Sure, if that’s what you want to believe…they’re magical
Chel on 16 Apr 2009 at 12:11 am #

I’ve been so busy lately with real life stuff that I haven’t been blogging much or reading much, and when I return, you have this… oh, my.

If one day, you open your door and there’s a vertically-challenged, round-faced girl with a thick Southern drawl asking you for food, you should assume it’s me. And you should feed me.

Chel’s last blog post..cuz you had a bad day…

Hah! Duly noted
Tessa on 16 Apr 2009 at 9:57 am #

What deliciosity! With the weekend coming up and friends visiting from London, what could be more perfect than your mozzarella sticks and a bowl of tarragon and tomato dipping sauce, along with a glass of wine, to fuel the spring-time bonhomie!

Hope you and your friends enjoyed Tessa!
Patricia Scarpin on 16 Apr 2009 at 2:35 pm #

That is the kind of nibble that my husband loves! Well, I love it too.

Look delish!

Mangia mangia!
jen of a2eatwrite on 16 Apr 2009 at 10:45 pm #

C is going to just love you for this. Grazi!

jen of a2eatwrite’s last blog post..More about this later…

Hope you enjoy!