Description
Crispy smoked gouda fritters deliver a luxurious appetizer that blends savory cheese with golden-brown crunch. Balsamic honey mustard sauce complements the rich fritters, inviting you to savor each delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 container (15 oz / 425 g) whole milk ricotta
- 1 cup shredded smoked gouda
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup flour
- 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
- canola oil, for frying
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup dijon mustard
- 2 tbsps grainy mustard
- 2 tbsps aged balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Cheese Fusion: Harmoniously blend ricotta, gouda, and mozzarella in a large mixing bowl, creating a luxurious cheese mixture with complementary textures and flavors.
- Cheese Shaping: Meticulously form uniform cheese spheres, positioning them carefully on a parchment-lined tray to ensure consistent sizing and shape.
- Freezing Preparation: Chill the cheese balls in the freezer for 30 minutes, allowing them to solidify and maintain structural integrity during the coating and frying process.
- Coating Setup: Arrange three distinct coating stations – seasoned flour, whisked eggs, and seasoned breadcrumbs – for a comprehensive and even coating technique.
- Coating Process: Systematically roll each chilled cheese ball through flour, egg wash, and breadcrumb layers, ensuring a complete and crisp protective exterior.
- Final Chill: Return the coated fritters to the freezer for an additional 30 minutes, enhancing their ability to maintain shape and structure during frying.
- Oil Preparation: Heat canola oil in a deep pot to exactly 350°F, creating the optimal frying environment for achieving a golden, crispy exterior.
- Frying Technique: Carefully lower the chilled fritters into the hot oil, gently rotating to ensure an even, rich golden-brown coloration across all surfaces.
- Finishing Touches: Remove fritters with a slotted spoon, allowing excess oil to drain, and immediately season with a light sprinkle of salt.
- Sauce Creation: Whisk together Dijon mustard, grainy mustard, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, and freshly ground pepper to craft a tangy-sweet dipping sauce.
- Serving: Present the warm, crackling fritters alongside the vibrant balsamic honey mustard sauce, ready to be enjoyed.
Notes
- Freeze for Stability: Chilling cheese balls twice ensures they maintain shape and prevent melting during frying, creating perfectly crisp exteriors.
- Oil Temperature Matters: Maintain exact 350°F oil temperature for golden-brown fritters without greasy or burnt results, using a reliable kitchen thermometer.
- Coating Technique: Use a systematic three-station coating process to achieve an even, crispy breadcrumb layer that locks in cheese and creates delightful texture.
- Sauce Balance: Whisk dipping sauce ingredients thoroughly to blend tangy and sweet flavors, creating a complementary accompaniment that elevates the fritters’ richness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 1 hour freezing time)
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 100mg