Pretzel-coated mozzarella sticks with tomato dip
Until today, you probably thought nothing could beat bacon-wrapped cocktail sausages, but you thought wrong. Let me introduce you to the recipe that’ll change your mind.
On top of being a sure-fire hit, this recipe can be made in advance, beginning with the sauce, which will keep for five days in the refrigerator and for a month in the freezer.
Next, you can throw the cheese sticks into the freezer (Step 4) a day ahead of time and forget about them until you’re ready to move on to Step 5 (the cooking step) on the big day.
Particularities
- ServesYields 24 bites
- Prep time15 min
- Cook time20 min
- Timeout30 min
- FreezingFreezes well
Ingredients
- 8 sticks mozzarella (Cheestrings)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 3 cups pretzels, processed in the blender to resemble breadcrumbs
- 4 cups canola oil, for cooking
- Fleur de sel (or sea salt)
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 French shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 cups store-bought tomato sauce
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Steps
- Heat up the olive oil in a pan and soften the French shallot for 2–3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Cut the Cheestrings into thirds.
- Roll each stick in flour, then eggs, and then pretzel crumbs. Place on a baking dish and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and fry a few sticks at a time for 1–2 minutes, turning them every so often so all sides become nicely browned.
- Drain on paper towels and place on a serving platter. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and serve with tomato sauce.
Recipe published on August 19, 2018
