Somehow I managed to marry a man who refuses to eat seafood. This leads us down some rocky paths during our regular trips to Maine, where I stuff myself with lobster and he ends up eating umpteen chicken sandwiches. Imagine his glee when he discovered the Docksider in Northeast Harbor, which tops its chicken parm sandwich with chunky mozzarella sticks. Now imagine making that sandwich at home with your own fresh-fried mozz. It might be even more decadent than a lobster roll.
YIELD: 16 sticks
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours, including chilling time
DIFFICULTY: 2
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: electric deep fryer (or a large pot and a candy/oil thermometer), heatproof tongs or a metal skimmer or mesh strainer
8 string cheese sticks
1/4 cup (1 ounce) masa harina (see page 13)
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
vegetable or canola oil for frying
ASSEMBLE THE STICKS:
Remove the string cheese sticks from their plastic wrappers and cut in half horizontally to make 16 stubby sticks.
In a shallow bowl, whisk the masa harina and Parmesan cheese together. In another shallow bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. In a third shallow bowl, whisk the bread crumbs, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder together.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper.
Lightly but evenly coat the string cheese sticks in this order: first the masa harina, then the eggs, then the masa harina again and the eggs once more, finishing with a healthy coating of bread crumbs.
Line up the sticks on the prepared baking sheet and freezer for at least 1 hour. Once frozen through, the sticks can be transferred to a freezer bag and kept frozen for up to 3 months.
Heat at least 2 inches of vegetable or canola oil to 350°F in an electric deep fryer or large, high-sided pot. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and an upside-down wire cooling rack (see Deep Frying 101, page 188).
Fry the frozen mozzarella sticks, in batches if necessary, until golden brown. Frying time will vary based on your equipment, but should take no more than 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet with heatproof tongs or a metal skimmer or mesh strainer and let cool for 1 minute before serving.
Serve the mozzarella sticks immediately.