One of the most popular snacks in Europe is cheese fried in batter, or cheese sticks, as they are also called. How to easily and correctly make cheese in batter, step by step with a recipe from the photo describes this article.
The subtleties of cooking
There are a lot of fried cheese recipes in batter, but they are all based on two things:
- Cheese forming: cutting into cubes, cubes or making balls from grated cheese mass.
- The batter on which the taste of the final product depends. Its taste features are mainly regulated by spices, as well as by the liquid component: water, cream, beer, etc. It also includes various breading, which, in principle, is part of the batter itself, as well as the number of layers, which may be one to four, depending on the type of cheese. For soft cheeses (brie, mozzarella, suluguni, feta cheese), at least three layers must be used, and for hard ones one is enough.
Simple recipe
The basic recipe for cheese in batter looks like this:
- 400 grams of hard cheese (Russian, Gouda, Dutch);
- three eggs;
- 8 tbsp. tablespoons of flour;
- three tbsp. tablespoons of cool water;
- a pinch of salt;
- a set of seasonings to your taste: 1/2 teaspoon;
- ground breadcrumbs.
For the recipe “cheese in batter”, the main product is cut into bars five cm long and one cm wide, given that when frying the product will almost double in size.
Step cooking
Next, prepare the cheese batter according to the recipe: beat eggs with a fork, along with salt and seasonings. For example, you can use a combination of black and red pepper, ground oregano and just a little bit of nutmeg. Each spice is taken with a pinch, although two oregano can be taken - this will give a greater flavor to the delicate batter. When the egg mass becomes uniform, add flour to it, rubbing it carefully so that there are no small lumps left, and then water.
It should turn out to be a pretty liquidish dough, which is usually called batter, which means “liquid” in French. Its consistency should be like thick cream: it is important that the dough does not have time to drain from the cheese before an appetizing crispy crust forms.
How to fry cheese in batter?
When the batter is ready, you can start the frying process: pour breadcrumbs into a small bowl with a small slide, then it will be easier to roll pieces of cheese in them. It is better to freeze the cheese slightly in the freezer, only 10-15 minutes, then when frying it will not melt so quickly. This rule is especially important when using soft cheeses: they need to be frozen for at least twenty minutes.
When the pan is well warmed up, pour the vegetable oil into it and warm it up again: it should be enough so that the pieces of cheese in the dough are immersed in it half or more. Dip a slice of cheese in the batter, then carefully roll in breading and place in the pan. This can be done either by hand or with the help of two forks - to whom it is more convenient. Repeat the procedure with other pieces of cheese, placing them in a pan at a certain distance from each other, although it is already evident that when frying they increase in size. When the batter is browned, turn the cheese over to the other side, fry until golden brown and remove on a paper towel. This is necessary, otherwise cheese sticks will lose both taste and appearance. The paper should absorb all the excess fat, turning the dish into a crispy snack, which is served immediately. The fried cheese in the batter is served hot, in the cold it loses its taste by half.
Several options for cheese batter (with photo)
Batter recipes can be based not only on water or milk, but also on more interesting product combinations.
For example, very tasty fried cheese in such types of batter:
- Two eggs, 2 tbsp. tablespoons of thick sour cream, 1/2 cup flour, a pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp. curry, 1 tbsp. tablespoons parsley, chopped very finely. Those who prefer hot cheese sticks can add a generous pinch of red cayenne pepper to the dough.
- Three eggs, 3-4 tbsp. tablespoons of highly sparkling water, 9 tbsp. tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon with a hill of dried cumin and a little salt.
- Use any kind of batter, but focus on breading: use not breadcrumbs, but cornmeal, and in double breading. This will give the fried cheese a special aftertaste and an incredible crunch!
Gourmet
Those people who prefer more sophisticated types of snacks, and also do not mind spending more time in the kitchen, can use a more interesting recipe for cheese fried in batter, and the photo will help in the cooking process. The peculiarity of this option is that the cheese is not used in pieces, but rubbed on a grater, and then molded into balls.
To do this, you need to take:
- three hundred grams of hard cheese;
- three eggs;
- one hundred grams of flour;
- seasoning "Provencal herbs" 1 tsp.
Step cooking
- Grate cheese with small holes, mix with spices.
- Divide the eggs into yolks and squirrels, beat the latter with a pinch of salt until a firm, strong foam.
- Combine the grated cheese with the protein mass and mix gently with your hands until smooth and form balls with a diameter of three centimeters. Larger ones do not need to be made, because during heat treatment they will double in volume.
- In a separate bowl, beat the yolks lightly. Roll each ball in beaten yolks, then in flour and put in boiling oil in a pan at a distance from each other.
- Fry until golden brown, turning over with a fork for an even “tan” on all sides. Put ready-made cheese lumps (or sticks, if desired) on paper and gently pat on all sides, removing oil. Serve only hot, decorated with fresh herbs.