Griddle Fried Mozzarella with Marinara
Eight breaded fresh-mozzarella rounds briefly frozen and browned on an oiled griddle, served with a separately simmered tomato sauce.
Ingredients
For the Mozzarella
- 8 slices fresh mozzarella about 1/4–1/2 inch thick; drain and pat dry
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 cups panko
- 1/2 cup olive oil reserved for griddle cooking, use only as needed
For the Marinara Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for the marinara saucepan, not griddle
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Dry 8 mozzarella slices. Coat with garlic-seasoned flour, beaten egg and milk, then panko, pressing crumbs over all edges. Arrange on parchment and freeze 30 minutes.
- During freezing, heat 1 tablespoon sauce oil and briefly cook garlic. Add tomato puree and sauce seasonings; simmer about 10 minutes, then keep warm.
- Heat a griddle at medium and apply reserved frying oil only where needed. Cook cold rounds 2–3 minutes on the first side.
- Turn carefully and brown the other side until coating is cooked through. Remove promptly, before excessive cheese leakage.
- Serve 8 hot rounds with marinara as 4 appetizer portions. More cooking batches extend the estimate.
Notes
Allocate 1 tablespoon oil to marinara and up to 1/2 cup to the cooking surface. Dry cheese and freeze breaded rounds 30 minutes; sauce simmers during that interval. Do not overfill griddle channels with oil. Cook egg coating fully and serve promptly. Extra batches add time.