Deep-fried Mozzarella Cheese

 cheese starters - deep fried mozzarella cheese

 

Ingredients

  • 1.5kg Tomatoes

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • 1 medium onion finely chopped

  • 1 garlic clove finely chopped

  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano

  • 8 basil leaves

  • 8 thin slices white bread

  • 200g buffalo mossarella cheese

  • 2 eggs

  • 125 ml Milk

  • 6 tsp plain flour

  • handful of rocket leaves

Method

For the sauce

  1. Cut the tomatoes into rough cubes and set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and fry the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes until softened.
  3. Tip everything into a liquidiser and process until smooth.  Strain through a sieve and leave on one side.

For the Mozzarella

  1. Slice the mozzarella cheese into 4 slices about 1cm thick.  Cut the crusts off the bread and stamp out, using a cutter, into discs slightly larger than the mozzarella slices.
  2. Lightly beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Dip one side of all the bread slices into milk.  Put a mozzarella disc on top of the dry side of half the bread slices.
  4. Season the mozzarella and make a sandwich with the other slice of bread, keeping the mil-soaked side on the outside.
  5. Dust the sandwich with flour and coat in beaten egg.
  6. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer and deep-fry the sandwich in a hot fryer until golden and crisp.
  7. Drain the fried sandwiches on kitchen paper and serve with the warm tomato suace.  Accompany with a heap of rocket leaves.