So, I had this idea pop into my head the other day – “fried olympic appetizer”. Sounds fancy, right? Honestly, I just wanted to fry something cheesy and the name stuck. Didn’t really have a solid plan, just went for it.
Getting Started
First thing, rummaged through the fridge. Found a block of mozzarella, some cheddar slices, and that old bag of shredded Mexican blend. Okay, variety, kinda like the Olympics, I guess? Good enough start.
Needed something to coat them. Grabbed flour, couple of eggs, and breadcrumbs from the pantry. Standard stuff. Thought about getting fancy with spices, maybe paprika for color, garlic powder for kick? Nah, decided to keep it simple first time around. Maybe next time.
The Messy Part – Prepping
Okay, the mozzarella block. Cut it into thick discs, like little pucks. Easy. The cheddar slices? Stacked a few and used a cookie cutter – well, actually it was a small glass – to punch out circles. Felt a bit clever there. The shredded cheese? That was tricky. Tried to press it together into little patties. Some held, some didn’t. Bit of a mess already.
Then, the breading station. Simple setup:
- Plate one: Flour
- Bowl one: Whisked eggs (just two)
- Plate two: Breadcrumbs
Took each cheese puck/circle/patty. First, dunked it in flour, shaking off excess. Then into the egg wash, making sure it was covered. Finally, rolled it in the breadcrumbs. My fingers were getting seriously gummed up by this point. Especially with those shredded cheese things, they kept wanting to fall apart. Note to self: shredded cheese needs a binder, maybe mix with an egg first next time? Whatever, pushed through it.
Frying Time
Got out my trusty old frying pan. Poured in some vegetable oil, maybe like an inch deep? Turned the stove on, medium-high heat. How to know when it’s ready? Did the old breadcrumb test. Tossed a crumb in, watched it sizzle nicely. Good to go.
Carefully, using tongs, I started placing the breaded cheese things into the hot oil. Don’t overcrowd the pan, right? Learned that the hard way before. They started bubbling immediately. Smelled pretty good, gotta admit. Watched them like a hawk. Took maybe, what, a minute or two each side? Waited till they were golden brown and crispy looking.
This part needs attention. Turn them too late, burnt cheese. Turn them too early, pale and sad. Some cheese started oozing out, especially from the cheddar ones. Made a bit of a sizzly mess in the oil, but hey, that’s frying.
Used the tongs again to fish them out. Placed them on a plate lined with paper towels. Gotta drain that extra grease. Did this in batches until all the cheese was fried up.
The Result?
So, what did I end up with? A plate of assorted golden-brown fried cheese things. Some roundish, some kinda blobby (looking at you, shredded cheese attempts). Definitely not perfect rings like the Olympic symbol, not even close. But they were hot, melty inside, and crispy outside.
Called them my “fried olympic appetizer” anyway. Why not? It was an attempt, an event in my kitchen. We ate them dipped in marinara sauce. They disappeared pretty fast, so can’t complain about the taste.
Was it groundbreaking? Nope. Was it a fun little experiment? Yeah. Made a bit of a mess, kitchen smelled like a fast-food joint for a bit, had to clean the oily pan. But sometimes you just gotta fry some cheese, you know?
