12 stick s of string cheese or 12 pieces of mozzarella cut into 4 x 1/2 inch sticks
1 1/2 cups panko-style breadcrumbs
4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 eggs
1 cup of all-purpose flour
Canola oil for frying
For the Buttermilk Dip
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of table salt to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons honey, Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 tablespoons minced green onions
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
1. Dredge the mozzarella sticks- Spread the flour and breadcrumbs on
separate plates (pie plates work
well for this). Add the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the
breadcrumbs and mix well. Place the
eggs in a small bowl and beat them lightly.
2. Drop a piece of cheese into the flour and roll it around until it
is well
covered. Shake off the excess flour and dip the cheese into the egg
mixture before
rolling it in the breadcrumbs until well coated. One last time, dip
the breadcrumb
coated cheese back into the beaten egg and roll again in breadcrumbs
to create an
extra crispy coating. Set aside on a clean plate and repeat with the
remaining
cheese sticks. Once all of the mozzarella has been breaded, place the
plate into
the freezer uncovered and freeze until the breadcrumb coating is firm,
at least 2
hours.
3). Meanwhile, make the buttermilk dip- In a small bowl, whisk all of
the
ingredients together until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and
refrigerate
until ready to serve.
4). Fry the mozzarella sticks- Pour enough oil into a large heavy-
bottomed pot to
come to a depth of at least 2 inches. Using an candy thermometer,
heat oil until it
reaches a temperature of 350°. Fry the mozzarella sticks in batches,
being careful
not to overwhelm the oil, until crispy and browned on the exterior,
about 5 minutes.
Drain on paper towels.
5). Repeat with remaining mozzarella, allowing the oil temperature to
rise
back to 350° between batches. You can place the finished mozzarella
sticks
in a 200° oven to keep them warm while the others fry.
6). Serve immediately with buttermilk dip.
Originally Submitted
6/25/2013
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