Mozzarella in carrozza (Fried mozzarella)

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PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Andrea Aprea
Mozzarella in carrozza (Fried mozzarella)

Only a chef of Neapolitan origin could reveal all the secrets to make fried mozzarella: a delicious recipe, widespread also in Lazio with some differences, very easy to prepare that requires small touches to obtain a perfect result. Chef Andrea Aprea will show you in a few fundamental steps. First of all, the quality of the ingredients, especially for the mozzarella, which must be buffalo mozzarella and preferably from the day before. Fried mozzarella, in fact, was created as a recipe for recycling everything left over from the previous lunch and turning it into something really appetizing! These fritters with a fragrant shell and a filled core will please everyone thanks to their simplicity, but if you want to make a gourmet version, Chef Aprea recommends adding anchovies, dried tomatoes, basil and black pepper inside. An explosion of flavors that you can enhance by breading with panko, special Japanese breadcrumbs instead of classic breadcrumbs, the resulting crunchiness will conquer everyone bite after bite!

 

INGREDIENTS

White bread loaf 12 slices - 1 1/3 lb (600 g)
Mozzarella di bufala cheese 1.1 lbs (500 g) - preferably the day before
Fine salt to taste
Eggs 5 - large
Flour 00 1 cup (100 g)
Breadcrumbs 2 ½ cups (300 g)
to fry
Sunflower seed oil 4 ¼ cups (1 l)
Preparation

How to prepare Mozzarella in carrozza (Fried mozzarella)

To prepare the fried mozzarella, start by cutting the buffalo mozzarella into 1/2" (1 cm) 1 thick slices. Place them gradually on a tray lined with blotting paper 2 and cover with more blotting paper 3

Press gently with your hands 4 to blot the mozzarella and remove excess water. If necessary, use paper towels until it is completely dry 5. At this point, go ahead and stuff the bread. Put the slices of bread on a cutting board 6,

Place the slices of mozzarella on top, so as to cover the entire surface, but without letting it stick out 7, salt 8 and cover each slice with another slice of bread 9

Then press gently with your hands to pack it all together 10. Continue like this for all the other slices of bread, until you finish the mozzarella. Then trim the slices of stuffed bread using a knife, to remove the outer crust 11. At this point you can cut the mozzarella in the bread in two different ways. By cutting a cross 12 you will get 4 squares from each slice.

For a triangular cut you have to cut the bread first in half on the diagonal 13 and then in half on the other diagonal. This way you will get 4 triangles. Continue this way until all the pieces are finished 14. Now switch to the breading. Break the eggs into an oven dish and beat them with a whisk for a few minutes 15.

Then in two other baking dishes place the breadcrumbs in one and the sifted flour in the other. At this point dip each piece of stuffed bread first into the flour 16 and then using 2 forks into the egg 17, to coat them completely. Then set them on a plate for a few seconds 18, to remove the excess egg part.

and avoid lumps when you dip it in the breadcrumbs 19.Transfer to a cutting board and with the blade of a knife lightly press the edges and the surface in order to even out the breadcrumbs and make a more precise shape 20. If necessary, dip it in the breadcrumbs again and press again with the knife blade. Continue in this way for all the other pieces and transfer them gradually to a tray lined with baking paper 21. Then place in the fridge for about 30 minutes. 

After the breaded mozzarella has set , you can start with the second breading, first dip into the egg 22, then set in the saucer to remove the excess 23 and finally dip in the breadcrumbs 24

As previously, then transfer the pieces of breaded mozzarella onto a cutting board and with the blade of a knife even out the breadcrumbs 25. Continue this way for all the others by placing them on a tray lined with baking paper 26. Store in the fridge to set for another 30 minutes. Pour the oil into a frying pan and bring it to a temperature of 340-350° F (170-180° C) maximum. Put in a few pieces at a time 27 and cook the fried mozzarellas for 1-2 minutes, turning them from time to time with a skimmer.

When they are well browned, drain them from the oil 28 and put them on a tray lined with absorbent paper to remove the excess oil 29. Fry the others and serve 30

Storage

The fried mozzarella must be enjoyed immediately! You can keep it in the fridge for a few hours before you fry it.

Tips

To prepare fried mozzarella we recommend using mozzarella opened the day before, so it will be drier. This way it will not spill out during cooking. 

The flour in the breadcrumbs serves to glue the egg and breadcrumbs together. 

It is important to drain the slices of bread well from the egg, because this is the only way you will avoid lumps when you dip them in the breadcrumbs. For the same reason it is important to always keep your hands clean when breading. 

In order to ensure that the breadcrumbs remain well attached to the bread and that no moisture develops inside the fried mozzarella, it is important to place in the refrigerator after each breading. 

For a chef's touch in the second breading only, instead of breadcrumbs, you can use panko, the Japanese "crumbly" breadcrumbs, which will make it crunchier. 

Be very careful when frying. Always start with an oil with a temperature of 340-350° F (170-180 C) so that the pieces immersed in it will stabilize around 325° F (160°) and the cooking will be uniform. If the oil is too hot, the fried mozzarella will be too dark on the outside, and inside the mozzarella will not be stringy. To recover it, you can put it in the oven for a few minutes at 325° F (160°). 

Instead of loaf bread you can use slices of homemade bread, in this case you won't need to remove the crust and the result will be much more rustic!