SPICY MOZZARELLA STICKS RECIPES

Steps:

• Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.
• In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium low heat until just warm, about 1 minute. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, salt, sugar and red pepper flakes (if desired). Stir well and heat until sauce begins to bubble. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• While sauce is cooking prepare mozzarella sticks. Combine panko, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper on a medium sized plate.
• Place flour on a small plate. Dip each stick in flour to coat. Shake off excess and dip in egg. Dip sticks in panko mixture. Place sticks on baking sheet 2 inches apart. Spray tops with olive oil cooking spray.
• Place baking sheet in freezer for 1 hour and refrigerate sauce.
• Fifteen to twenty minutes before serving time preheat oven to 400F. Once oven has reached desired temperature, remove baking sheet from freezer and place in oven. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until sticks are just heated through but not melted. Remove from oven and serve with sauce, warmed as follows.
• While mozzarella sticks are baking, remove sauce from refrigerator and heat, in a microwave-safe dish, in microwave oven for 1 to 2 minutes until warmed through. Serve ½ cup sauce with 1 mozzarella stick.

Steps:

• Cut the mozzarella into thick slices then into 2cm-wide fingers and leave to sit on kitchen paper for 10 minutes.
• Put the flour, egg and panko into separate bowls. Tip the garlic salt and oregano into the breadcrumbs and toss. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Dip each mozzarella stick first in the flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Line them up on the tray as you coat them, then put in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer into freezer bags.
• To make the sauce, heat the olive oil and butter in a pan, then cook the onion and garlic until really soft. Add the chilli flakes, paprika, tomatoes and sugar, and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. Use a stick blender to whizz until smooth, then freeze. When needed, defrost in a pan and simmer for 5 minutes before serving.
• Fill a pan no more than 1/3 full of oil and heat to 180C or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Fry the mozzarella sticks in batches, straight from frozen, for 4-5 minutes until golden brown, and drain on kitchen paper. Serve with the warm dipping sauce.