Fry Me A River of Cheese
Well, y’all, 2020 is officially done. It was a doozy, for sure, and one we will all be talking about from our front porch rockers as we sip on whiskey filtered through sausage balls.
Happy New Year to each and every one of you loyal friends and foodies tuning in to our blog!
In Mississippi, when the cold, wet days of January set in, so does the punch drunk hangover feeling from the holiday season and the urge to hunker down and hibernate.
Mississippians don't do well in the cold, gray weather that is winter in the South. We just don't. Folks are hard core grumpy, like get-off-my-lawn grumpy, and we look for little tidbits of joy and comfort to soothe the bitter cold that cuts through your skin like a knife on a 55 degree day.
Brrrrr.
Hear me loud and clear when I say to y`all that there are fewer things more comforting and soul soothing than ooey, gooey, stringy, warm and melting cheese encased in a super crispy and crunchy breading that has been dancing in a pool of hot love; that is code for a deep fryer, in case any of y`all were wondering.
That's right, friends and neighbors, I speak of the beloved, revered and sacred fried cheese. Hallelujah and amen.
Who doesn't like fried cheese, I ask you? I mean, I am sure there are “those” people somewhere, but they are not in my world.
Not eating fried cheese and not liking fried cheese are two totally different things, folks. Be suspect of those in your inner circle who do not like fried cheese. Let them know you see them with the occasional raised eyebrow, and in extreme cases, the stank eye.
I believe in my whole heart that it's one of the questions you should ask people when you are in the getting-to-know-you stage:
“Do you like fried cheese?”
“No.”
“Well, it was nice getting to know you, tell your mama and them I said ‘hi’.”
Some things cannot be compromised on in life.
Fried cheese sticks are so easy to make, I am going to give you a no-fail recipe than can be executed with very little labor/prep and as a low-cost investment, and that is guaranteed to not only lift you into the heavens away from the January Grumps, but will also feed any angst-ridden teenagers who refuse to take the trash out.
Trust me, they will gladly take the trash out if you feed them these little molten lava sticks of love.
Now before I give you this recipe I want to warn you that we are going to use string cheese - that's right, string cheese.
If you are going to do any eye rolling, huffing and puffing, then now is the time to go ahead and get it out of your system.
String cheese is a beautiful thing and is a versatile food item to keep in your fridge. (At a later date we might need to delve deeper into the Odyssey of string cheese.)
There are so many uses for this little cheese beside the obvious one of peeling away the layers and shoving into one's mouth with wanton abandon.
You can thank me later, and all apologies will be accepted.
Easy Fried Cheese
12 string cheese pieces removed from the plastic and cut in half for a total of 24 pieces
¼ cup flour, all-purpose
1 TB cornstarch
2 large eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup buttermilk
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried oregano
2 cups Canola oil
Instructions
To begin, you will need 3 bowls. (I use medium-sized bowls; you do not want ingredients to be crowded for breading).
In one bowl, mix flour and cornstarch together and set aside.
In the second bowl, mix buttermilk and beaten eggs. Set aside.
In the third bowl, mix Panko breadcrumbs, basil, parsley, and oregano. Set aside.
For the breading process, begin by tossing cheese in the flour mix, shaking off excess flour, and dip in bowl #2 with egg mixture, shaking off excess, then bowl #3 with breadcrumbs, making sure to coat completely. I do this process in 3 batches because you do not want to overcrowd the bowls.
Set coated cheese sticks aside on a small plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you do not have parchment paper, wrap a plate or sheet in plastic wrap. Make sure to keep a little space in between each stick - you do not want them touching. Put cheese uncovered in the freezer for 30 minutes to flash freeze.
When ready to cook, use a smallish but deep pan to heat oil to 360 degrees and ready a plate or tray with paper towels to drain.
Once the oil is to the proper temperature, gently place sticks in small batches one at a time. For me, I like to cook them just until you see the first drop of cheese beginning to poke out from the breading. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, place fried cheese on paper towels to drain. Do not overcook, or all the cheese will ooze out.
You will want to heat oil back to 360 each time before frying - do not let the oil get too hot or too cool. The temperature is very important in proper cooking.
Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce. I always go with Marinara and Ranch. Whatever you like is fine.
I make my marinara from scratch, but it is absolutely not necessary. This is a personal preference and adds extra steps and cooking. Open up a jar of your favorite sauce, heat it up and enjoy. Cooking should be fun and about what you like to eat.
Enjoy! And when life gives you cheese - fry it! - because you can!
Notes :
Buy a digital thermometer with a probe. They usually run around $12.00-$15.00. Trust me when I say this will be your best friend for frying and also for baking, where exact temperatures are important.
When frying anything, be careful when adding the items to the oil. You want to be close to the oil and gently lay whatever you are frying into the oil. If you are too high, the grease will splatter, and you will be a helpless burn victim with a huge mess to clean up. A slotted spoon works great for this. You can lower the spoon into grease and gently roll it off the side.
Do not overcrowd the oil. Patience is important, and you will be rewarded.
When frying, you want to have enough room for whatever you may be cooking to be able to “dance” in the pan, never touching.
Overcrowding also drops the temperature of the oil too quickly and will give you a soggy breading.