“Basic cooking skills are a virtue... the ability to feed yourself and a few others with proficiency should be taught to every young man and woman as a fundamental skill." - Anthony Bourdain
I am obsessed with caprese salad, and after ordering it many times at our favorite restaurants, I've decided to take attempt recreating the dish at home. A few months ago, G & I went to a restaurant where they had a fried caprese salad! After trying the dish, I just had to figure out how to make it!
Today, I'm sharing my new favorite recipe - Fried Caprese Salad, and I added a few twists to it as well!
Chopping up the various toppings for the salad - basil, bacon, avocado, tomato.
What you'll need:
- Tomato
- Fresh Mozzarella
- Modena Balsamic Vinegar
- Avocado
- Bacon (optional)
- Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup, or Honey
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper Corn
- Italian Style Panko Breadcrumbs
- Egg
- Milk or Water
- Canola Oil
- Flour
Step 1: Slice up your mozzarella - or you can buy them pre-sliced! Take each slice and dip them one by one into a seasoned flour mixture (salt and pepper), then into an egg and milk or water mixture, finally into the panko breadcrumbs. Begin to place each slice of breaded mozzarella onto parchment paper. Once this is complete put them in the freezer 24-48 hours before frying them.
Pro Tip: By placing the breaded mozzarella into the freezer, this allows the cheese and breading to harden. If you skip this process your cheese with explode when you fry them! Also, once they are on the parchment paper, I carefully slide them into a gallon bag and lay them flat on rack in the freezer.
Step 2: Once you are ready to make your salad, and your mozzarella has been in the freezer for a day or two, it's time to make your balsamic glaze. You can use any sweetener in your pantry - maple syrup, brown sugar, or honey. I prefer light brown sugar - it worked out perfectly for me! Stir the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar into a sauce pan for about 10 minutes. The mixture will begin to bind and make a perfect glaze. Taste it and ensure it has the right balance of acidity and sweet!
Pro Tip: Watch this mixture very carefully. Keep the glaze on medium heat to ensure you do not burn the mixture.
Step 3: Once your glaze is done, and cooling down, begin chopping up your veggies! Slice up your avocado, basil, and tomatoes! Also, if you fancy bacon, add that to your salad too!
Step 4: It is time for the star of the show - the mozzarella! Begin heating up a skillet with canola oil to fry the cheese. Remove your mozzarella from the freezer, and once the grease is hot, carefully place each piece of cheese into the oil. It should take about 3-4 minutes to cook the mozzarella on each side - make sure to get that perfect golden brown color! Once the cheese is ready, remove each slice carefully, to a stack of paper towels, for the slices to cool before plating.
Step 5: Assemble your salad and enjoy!
XO, Analise