Mozzarella Sticks

[DevilNuts]

I tried making mozzarella sticks for the first time the other night, and they didn't come out as good asI had hoped.

I rolled my sticks in flour, dipped in egg, and rolled again in bread crumbs, then fried them in oil.

The breading was nearly falling off, and the sticks were soggy and floppy. I knew when I ate them that I would need less cheese, and more breading for next time.

I also consulted a cookbook which told me to freeze them for 15 minutes before frying them. Can anyone tell me the reason for this? Also, How do I get more breading on there?

[phatch]

Freezing helps the coating stick together before it goes in the oil The coating then cooks together before it can disassociate from the food itself.

Phil

[Suzanne]

Freezing does two things: it chills the cheese so that it won't melt in the hot oil, and it helps set the coating.

If you want more coating, you can coat twice: flour, eggs, crumbs, eggs again, crumbs again. Letting the sticks sit on a rack in the fridge after the first crumb coat will let them dry a bit. Then dip in eggs and crumbs again, freeze, and you should have a crust that holds together and cheese that's soft but not too. Also, have the oil hot enough so that the coating browns pretty quickly; since you don't want to cook the cheese to the point where it melts, just getting the coating golden is enough.

[DevilNuts]

That makes sense. Awesome, thanks!