I think this week’s “Cheese Fry” submission by Yaling Hou of Flowie Style wins for the simplest and fewest ingredients we’ve ever posted here in the column, and probably ever will. Even if you’re scared of frying things, this is so easy, you can’t go wrong, really. Yaling mentioned that her husband, who is Japanese, says you can find this food in Japanese bars and he eats them simply sprinkled with salt, no dipping sauce required. I personally think of mustard or some spicy chutney whenever I think of cheeses. And while I am too “healthy” to eat cheese on even a semi-regular basis, I think if you’re going to eat or serve fried cheese, you may as well make it a night and have all those other things you know you shouldn’t eat too much of, but they taste so good you have to indulge every so often. Enhance your fried food free for all by varying the types of cheeses. -Kristina
About Yaling: Yaling Hou is the designer and the founder of the lifestyle design company, Flowie. Launched in 2007, Flowie designs and manufactures refreshing fabrics, bags, home accessories and other fashion accessories. Yaling Hou was born and raised in Taiwan. She currently lives in Redwood City, California, with her Japanese husband and their adorable Maltese dog. [Click Here for a Sneak Peek of Yaling's home!]
CLICK HERE for the full recipe after the jump!
Cheese Fry
Ingredients
• 1 pack of Dumpling wraps
• 1 block of Monterey Jack cheese (or Mozzarella cheese)
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Salt
Cut cheese into ½ inch thick, 2 ½ long sticks. Layer two dumpling wraps together. Dab water on the edge. Wrap a cheese stick inside two dumpling wraps. Heat oil to a hot temperature (356 to 374°F). Fry the wrapped cheese sticks for about 30~45 seconds until the wrap becomes golden brown and before cheese melts. Sprinkle a little salt over the cheese fries before serving. And, enjoy!
Note from Yaling: The particular type of dumpling wraps I use are thin so I use two wraps together. If the dumpling wraps you purchase are thicker, you may use just one layer. Also, the cheese doesn’t have to be Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese. Try different kinds to find the taste and texture you like.
Note from Kristina: If you are a first time fryer, please never ever ever leave hot oil unattended, not even for one second. Resist any and all temptations to be distracted! Since the frying is so quick, it should be easy to prepare all your wraps, heat the oil, fry right away and remove the oil from the heat. If a fire does occur, do not try to put it out with water. Cover it with a damp towel. (click here for an instructional frying video on youtube)
{photography by Kristina Gill, all porcelain by mud australia.}
