Photo: Claire Lower
If you’ve been hanging out around these parts for the last few weeks, you have probably noticed I’ve been into wrapping things in crispy cheese, such as pickles, and french fries. I’ve also been busy disrupting the mozzarella stick sector, so it was only a matter of time before I wrapped cheese around a mozzarella stick. “People will die,” Jordan wrote in Slack when I pitched this idea. And they might. But they will die happy, if a little greasy.
On a scale from “1" to “the pervert’s magic shell,” this is like a four. If you’ve ever eaten a cheese plate or shared an order of traditional mozzarella sticks, you have consumed this amount of cheese. The format is different, and that sometimes startles people, but it’s good: A layer of crispy, fried, salty cheese is wrapped around a creamy mozzarella stick, which gently melts in the center, providing a marvelous bit of textural contrast. If you’re still scandalized, oh well. There is no law against this. You cannot arrest me.
How to make the cheesiest cheese sticks
You’ll start by gathering your cheeses. You’ll need one shredded and one in stick form. I like using any ol’ bag of pre-shredded cheese (the shreds are tossed in starch, which helps cut down on bitterness) and a classic string cheese. Parmesan also works as an outer layer.
Photo: Claire Lower
Add a small handful of shredded cheese to a nonstick pan over medium heat. You want a circle of cheese with a diameter that’s roughly the same length as your cheese stick. Let the cheese cook until it’s lacy, bubbly, and starting to brown on the edges, then add the string cheese.
Photo: Claire Lower
Using a silicone spatula, start to test the edges. The cheese will eventually peel up in one piece. Once that happens, you’re ready to fold. Fold one side of the frico blanket around the string cheese, then repeat with the other side.
Photo: Claire Lower
Let it cook for another minute to let the string cheese melt, then plate and enjoy immediately. Maybe dip it in some honey. Cheese and honey are so good together.
