Serves 8-10. Dairy
These little fried cheddar bites are wickedly awesome. Enveloped in a rich beer- batter and deep fried, these chunks of cheddar are transformed into an awesome finger-food perfect for any time of year. The custom to eat cheese and other dairy delicacies during Shavuot is considered to be a symbol of the Torah, which nourishes the Jewish people the way milk nourishes a baby.Even though these fried cheddar bites are infused with the rich culinary traditions of Shavuot, cheese fried in oil and served with a wine-infused dipping sauce are perfect for any occasion, any time of year. Who knew tradition could taste so good?!
INGREDIENTS
3, 8oz. sticks/blocks cheddar cheese
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons paprtika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) lager, or beer of your choice
Vegetable oil, for frying
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut the cheddar into medium sized cubes and set aside in the refrigerator.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of flour with the paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk in the beer until the mixture is well combined. Let the batter rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
3. In a large pot, heat approximately 2-3 cups of oil.
4. Remove the cheddar cubes from the refrigerator and toss them with the remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Dip the cubes into the beer batter and carefully drop the battered cubes into the oil one at a time, being careful not to touch the cheese (as the beer batter coating will bust open). Allow the cheese to fry for about 10-15 seconds before flipping it over and before adding another cube (you should be able to get about 4-6 cubes into the pot at one time-depending on the size of your pot). I do not recommend placing a few cubes into the pot at one time, as they will most likely all stick together. Fry each cube for approximately 30-45 seconds. Remove from the pot and drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Serve and enjoy.
Chardonnay-Mustard Dipping Sauce
Makes approx. 3/4 cup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 Tbs. chardonnay
1/4 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chopped cilantro
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. Hot and Spicy Mango mustard (or similar spicy/sweet mustard variety)
Mix together all of the ingredients and enjoy with your cheddar bites.
Born and bred in the American South, Alex ‘the Kosherologist’ Idov, was raised on collard greens stewed with smoked turkey leg (in place of ham hocks), black-eyed-peas, and Brunswick Stew. He boasts being a 4th generation Jewish Southerner, with one of his great-grandmother’s born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1888. His other great-grandparents hailed from Russia, Poland, and France-inspiring much of his cooking with the cuisines of his heritage. Alex’s culinary repertoire goes beyond traditional Jewish and Southern fare, as he revisits and reinvents the cuisines of his ancestors. Alex holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Sustainability and Hospitality from the Kennesaw State University Michael A. Leven School of Culinary Sustainability and Hospitality and works as a freelance food writer. Find more recipes at kosherology.com.
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