I think I’ve finally found the perfect high-low aperitivo. Mozzarella sticks are probably one of my favourite things to order after a few drinks, and making them at home is really not that hard. They’re gloriously trashy in the best possible way.
The trick is using mozzarella cucina rather than the really wet balls of mozzarella you’d use for a salad. I double coat each stick, then freeze them solid before they go anywhere near the oil. This gives you that thick, crunchy shell and, more importantly, stops the cheese escaping all over the pan.
The tomato dip is deliberately very simple – tinned tomatoes, butter, onion, garlic and a little sugar, cooked down until rich and silky. It gives you something smooth and creamy to dunk the crunchy, salty mozzarella into.
Now, for that proper high-low experience, I would recommend you serve these mozzarella sticks with a Tomatini – a tomato martini. Fresh tomato, vodka, white balsamic and a little sugar syrup. It’s cold, sharp and slightly sweet, and cuts through all that fried cheese beautifully.
High-low, exactly as it should be. Nice drink, very silly snack.
MOZZARELLA STICKS, EASY TOMATO DIP
Let's not lie, we all love a mozzarella stick… It's exactly what you want with a drink in your hand.
Ingredients
- 200 g block mozzarella cucina (low-moisture)
- 110 g plain flour
- 125 g panko breadcrumbs
- 1.5 tsp dried oregano
- 1.5 tsp dried basil
- 1.5 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- neutral oil for frying
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
Dipping Sauce
- 400 g tin whole plum tomatoes
- 30 g unsalted butter
- ½ onion peeled & chopped into wedges
- 5 garlic cloves peeled
- ½ tsp sugar
Instructions
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Start by cutting your block of mozzarella into even sticks – about 1cm wide/deep. Set to one side.
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In a mixing bowl, combine the plain flour and a really good pinch of salt. Slowly add 240ml of ice-cold water, whisking as you do, until you have a thin, silky batter.
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In the bowl of a food processor, combine the panko breadcrumbs, dried oregano, dried basil, onion powder, garlic powder and a very generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Blitz into fine breadcrumbs, then pour out into a shallow bowl.
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Coat each mozzarella stick first in the batter, and then in the breadcrumbs, making sure they are well coated. Set them on a lined baking tray, and let them rest for 15 minutes. Now repeat the process! Coat each breaded mozzarella stick in another later of the batter, and another layer of the breadcrumbs, then back onto the lined baking tray – they should have a nice thick coating now. Give each one a little inspection, making sure they are fully coated all over (especially on the ends!). It’s really important there aren’t any gaps in the coating, otherwise the cheese will escape when you fry them and you’ll be left purely with fried breadcrumbs, which will make you very sad. Place the baking tray into the freezer, and freeze the mozzarella sticks until completely solid (about 3 hours).
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Meanwhile, you can make the tomato dipping sauce. Combine the tinned tomatoes, butter, onion, garlic, sugar and a good pinch of salt in a medium saucepan set over a medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced. Remove the saucepan from the heat, then use a hand blender to blend it into a smooth and silky sauce (you can also do this in a stand blender, just let it cool down slightly first). Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
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When you are ready to fry your mozzarella sticks, you can get your oil ready. Heat roughly 7cm of neutral oil in a medium pan over a medium heat, and let it heat up for 5 minutes or so. Fry 3 or 4 mozzarella sticks at a time, until they are deeply golden and crisp and floating to the top of the pan. They should take about 2 minutes each – if they are much quicker than this, you’ll want to turn the heat down. Remove each one from the oil as it’s ready and onto a few sheets of kitchen towel, to soak up any excess grease.
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Arrange the mozzarella sticks on a plate, and serve with the dipping sauce on the side. Eat them whilst they are still hot, for that lovely cheese pull.
Check this one out on my Instagram!
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