Lasagna Archives - Poor Man's Gourmet Kitchen

Fried Mozzarella

The BEST Fried Mozzarella

Everyone claims to have the “best” recipe for what ever they’re advertising but I’m telling you right now that nobody makes they’re Fried Mozzarella like this because they’re not using the right cheese. And, once I show you what I’m talking about, you’ll be convinced that I’m right and that this is, without a doubt, the best Fried Cheese.

Layered pieces of Low Moisture Mozzarella cheese laid down like dominoes on a plate.

The Perfect Cheese

I have memories of ordering Cheese sticks at Denny’s after the local bars would send us home for the night. I thought that they were amazing but, the truth was, I was just drunk because those Mozzarella sticks were crap as soon as they went cold. The batter sucked and the cheese got hard and rubber. Well, no more I say.

The secret to my Fried Mozzarella is Low Moisture Mozzarella. You’ve probably seen it at your grocery store or even had it melted on a Margherita Pizza. I serve it up sometimes with Cured meats like Prosciutto and Dry Copa or Genoa, sliced fruit and crackers. It’s a little bit saltier than regular Mozzarella, so there’s more flavor, and it’s got a lot more elasticity to it when it’s melted, because of the low moisture content; which is generally about 45 to 52% compared to the regular, as high as 60%.

A plate of breaded and battered Mozzarella ready for the to be fried.

Fried Cheese Breading and Batter

In this recipe, I don’t use a batter to coat the Mozzarella Cheese before frying. Instead, I use a basic seasoned flour, egg wash and seasoned bread crumbs breading or, in this case, Panko.

In the video tutorial, I instruct you to add a double layer of this coating. This is very important because it will create a wall around the cheese, as it melts in the frying oil, and it will prevent the melted cheese from leaking out into the pan or fryer which, in turn, creates a huge mess.

I fry these in hot oil, for just a few minutes, until they turn golden brown, let them cool on paper towels and serve with Pizza Sauce.

Fried Mozzarella video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.

Fried Mozzarella Ingredients: Makes 12

1 pckg Mozzarella, low moisture
1/4 cup Flour, all purpose
1/4 tsp, Old Bay
4 eggs, for egg wash
1/4 cup Water, for egg wash
1 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs, Seasoned
1 cup Vegetable Oil, for frying

Fry for 2 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit.

Follow the instructions in the short video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to make the best Fried Mozzarella.

How to Make Italian Sausage

Easy Italian Sausage

You’re going to love learning How to Make Italian Sausage. This is, of course, a sweet and spicy recipe that can be easily adjusted to your specific tastes and, most importantly, reveals the secret to actually making it taste like sausage instead of just seasoned ground pork.

The secret lies in 3 places. First, the sausage has got to have a 2 to 1 ratio; 2 parts meat and 1 part Fat and in this particular case it’s 2 parts Pork Picnic Shoulder Muscle(which is very tender) and 1 part Bacon or Fat Back. If you’re wondering what Fat Back is, it’s just exactly what it sounds like; the Fat in the back of the pig; which is where bacon is derived from anyway so why not just use bacon. Plus, for me personally, I can’t get Fat Back where I live without ordering a minimum of 60 lbs and I’ll never make that much sausage.

The Second secret is the ingredients. This means any kind of sausage you want to make, whether it be Breakfast, Italian, or Chorizo etc., will all depend on the ingredients, or seasonings, going into the 2 to 1 ratio.

The Third thing is all about the binder. The binder is what fuses the meat and ingredients together and keeps them from falling apart. I’ve also found that it’s a big part of the the seasoning which also effects the performance in the sausage when it cooks.

For example: Most Italian Sausage recipes add a red wine and vinegar combination as a binder, which is fine, but this creates a bitter taste so you have to compensate with a sweetener, like sugar. But I have found that Corn Syrup works even better and I add Vegetable Shortening. Why the Shortening? Cooking the sausage without it leaves the meat very dry. It leaves an added quality to the sausage that improves the flavor and adds a moist tenderness to the meat when it’s done.

If you’re interested in more of my recipes with sausage in them, check out my Egg Noodle Lasagna and my Spaghetti with Meatballs.

Italian Sausage Ingredients:

2 lbs Pork shoulder Cusion Meat
1 lbs Bacon
6 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup Fresh Parsly, chopped
1 tbsp Fennel Seed
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tbsp Paprika
1 tbsp Red Chili Flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste, approximately 1/2 tbsp of each

Binders

1/3 cup Corn Syrup
1/4 cup Vegetable Shortening

Be sure to watch the short video tutorial and I will show you exactly how to make this Italian Sausage.

Egg Noodle Lasagna

Easy Egg Noodle Lasagna

One of the things I’ve always loved about Lasagna is the layers of flavor stacked into the noodles. I’m a big tomato and cheese fan so, much like pizza, this dish always hit home for me. The thing I don’t care for so much, about a traditional lasagna recipe, is the fact that it takes so long to make. This Egg Noodle Lasagna is a wonderful recipe that knocks out almost half of the normal cooking time so, you can enjoy more eating instead of waiting eat. And this recipe is just bursting with flavor as well. Plus, it’s smothered and baked with cheese and has all of the other great ingredients that make any Lasagna so heavenly when it hits your pallet.

CLICK HERE for Pink Vodka Sauce over Rigatoni Pasta
CLICK HERE for Blackened Chicken Alfredo

Egg Noodle Lasagna Ingredients:

1/2 lbs Ground Beef
1/2 lbs Italian Sausage (Mild or Hot)
1 tsp Anise
1 can Stewed Tomatoes, chopped Italian Herb
1 Can Tomato Sauce
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 1/2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tbsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 Green Onion, chopped
1 cup Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
12 oz Egg Noodle, Cooked
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated
8 basil Leaves
Olive Oil and Salt for the noodles and Boiling water