Mozzarella Sticks by Ben Cuba With a Marinara Dipping Sauce

Mozzarella Sticks

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 1 cup flour

  • 1 cup Italian style breadcrumbs

  • 16 ounces block mozzarella cheese

  • Canola oil, enough for frying

  • Salt, to taste

  • Pepper, to taste


Steps

  1. Cut the mozzarella cheese block into thin, long strips about ¾ inch wide

  2. Crack 4 eggs in a shallow bowl, add 2 tablespoons of water, and scramble the eggs and water with a whisk

  3. Measure about 1 cup of all-purpose flour in a 2nd shallow bowl

  4. Pour about 1 cup of Italian-style breadcrumbs in a 3rd shallow bowl and season with some additional salt and black pepper to taste

  5. Coat all sides of each mozzarella strip in the flour

  6. Shake off any excess flour and cover the mozzarella stick in the egg mixture

  7. Remove the mozzarella stick from the egg and cover the stick in the breadcrumbs

  8. Dip the breaded mozzarella stick back in the egg mixture and then coat the stick in another layer of breadcrumbs

  9. Transfer the double breaded mozzarella stick to a large tray, adding more flour and/or breadcrumbs if needed to the bowls

  10. Repeat steps 5 through 9 until all mozzarella sticks are breaded

  11. Place the tray of breaded mozzarella sticks in the freezer and freeze for 1 hour

  12. In a large pot, pour some canola oil for frying, enough to cover the bottom of the pot about 3 inches deep

  13. Heat the oil over medium heat until it is 200 degrees Fahrenheit, or when placing a mozzarella stick in the oil, it bubbles and pops immediately

  14. Working in small batches, fry the prepared mozzarella sticks for 1 to 2 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown, making sure the sticks don’t attach together

  15. Transfer the fried mozzarella sticks to a paper towel lined plate

  16. Continue to fry the remaining mozzarella sticks until all prepared sticked have been fried

  17. Serve the mozzarella sticks warm with the marinara dipping sauce


Marinara Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 15-oz can tomato sauce

  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • ½ teaspoon dried basil

  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano


Steps

  1. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering

  2. Add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and sauté for 2 minutes

  3. Pour in the tomato sauce followed by the salt, basil, and oregano

  4. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes

  5. Cover and keep the sauce warm until ready to serve


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