Classic Snacks Made from Scratch (21 page)

Somehow I managed to marry a man who refuses to eat seafood. This leads us down some rocky paths during our regular trips to Maine, where I stuff myself with lobster and he ends up eating umpteen chicken sandwiches. Imagine his glee when he discovered the Docksider in Northeast Harbor, which tops its chicken parm sandwich with chunky mozzarella sticks. Now imagine making that sandwich at home with your own fresh-fried mozz. It might be even more decadent than a lobster roll.

YIELD:
16 sticks

TOTAL TIME:
2 hours, including chilling time

DIFFICULTY:
2

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
electric deep fryer (or a large pot and a candy/oil thermometer), heatproof tongs or a metal skimmer or mesh strainer

8 string cheese sticks

1/4 cup (1 ounce) masa harina (see
page 13
)

2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

2 large eggs

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

vegetable or canola oil for frying

ASSEMBLE THE STICKS:

Remove the string cheese sticks from their plastic wrappers and cut in half horizontally to make 16 stubby sticks.

In a shallow bowl, whisk the masa harina and Parmesan cheese together. In another shallow bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. In a third shallow bowl, whisk the bread crumbs, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder together.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper.

Lightly but evenly coat the string cheese sticks in this order: first the masa harina, then the eggs, then the masa harina again and the eggs once more, finishing with a healthy coating of bread crumbs.

Line up the sticks on the prepared baking sheet and freezer for at least 1 hour. Once frozen through, the sticks can be transferred to a freezer bag and kept frozen for up to 3 months.

FRY THE STICKS:

Heat at least 2 inches of vegetable or canola oil to 350°F in an electric deep fryer or large, high-sided pot. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and an upside-down wire cooling rack (see Deep Frying 101,
page 188
).

Fry the frozen mozzarella sticks, in batches if necessary, until golden brown. Frying time will vary based on your equipment, but should take no more than 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet with heatproof tongs or a metal skimmer or mesh strainer and let cool for 1 minute before serving.

Serve the mozzarella sticks immediately.

OK, so I’m cheating a bit here. Making the true holey waffle-cut pattern on a potato is nigh impossible without professional equipment. But the swoops and curves of a waffle fry can be approximated with the help of that feisty French slicer, the mandoline. Sorry, kids, but it’s required for getting those crucial curves and dips that hold the spicy tempura-style batter on the potato’s surface.

To properly waffle-cut your fries, fit your mandoline with the crinkle-cut blade (that’s the one with the wavy edge) and swoop your potato down the slicing edge. Turn the potato 90 degrees, then swoop again. Turn back to its original position, swoop, and continue turning back and forth. You’ll see a waffle pattern emerge on the cut chips.

YIELD:
2 servings

TOTAL TIME:
1 hour

DIFFICULTY:
3

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
electric deep fryer (or a large pot and a candy/oil thermometer), mandoline or Japanese slicer with crinkle/waffle-cut blade, cut-resistant glove (recommended), heatproof tongs or a metal skimmer or mesh strainer

1 pound Yukon Gold or russet potatoes

1/4 cup (1 ounce) rice flour

1/4 cup (1 ounce) tapioca flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon Hungarian paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3/4 cup beer of your choice (I’m partial to Yuengling lager), or substitute sparkling water

vegetable or canola oil for frying

PREPARE THE POTATOES AND SPICE MIXTURE:

Rinse and peel the potatoes. Using the crinkle/waffle-cut blade on a mandoline, slice them 1/4 inch thick. (I recommend wearing a metal-mesh cut-resistant glove when using sharp slicers. Not only does it allow you to handle the vegetable more securely, but it also lets you slice down to the very last nubbin, leaving you with less food waste.)

Transfer the potato slices to a bowl and cover with cold water.

Whisk the rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, baking soda, paprika, and cayenne together in a large bowl. Whisk in the beer (or water) to form a loose batter.

COOK THE POTATOES:

Heat at least 2 inches of vegetable or canola oil to 325°F in an electric deep fryer or large, high-sided pot. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and an upside-down wire cooling rack (see Deep Frying 101,
page 188
).

Drain the potato slices and pat dry with a lint-free towel. Add the potatoes to the hot oil and fry, in batches as necessary, for 2 to 3 minutes; the slices will not brown but will turn slightly translucent and a bit mushy. Transfer them to the lined baking sheet with heatproof tongs or a metal skimmer or mesh strainer.

While the chips cool slightly, raise the heat of the oil to 375°F. Line another baking sheet with another wire rack—this one right-side up.

Dip the cooled chips in the batter and transfer to the second racked baking sheet to allow excess batter to drip off.

Fry the battered potatoes, in batches as necessary, for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Watch carefully—they’ll crisp up quickly! Transfer to the paper towel–lined baking sheet and sprinkle with additional kosher salt, if desired.

Serve immediately.

As a Pennsylvanian, I’m proud to note that the first commercial pretzel factory opened in Lititz, Pennsylvania, in 1861—and yes, it’s still up and running; you can go visit the Julius Sturgis bakery today. Along with whoopie and shoofly pies, scrapple, and pickled eggs, soft pretzels are a culinary contribution from the Pennsylvania Dutch, and we should all tip our bonnets to them for this gift.

The traditional boil-and-bake method, also used for bagels to impart the glossy, chewy exterior we love so dearly, gives the soft pretzel its signature mahogany luster. While the Germans and Amish traditionally used lye for their pretzels, baked soda (see
page 12
) makes for a safer kitchen alternative.

YIELD:
12 pretzels

TOTAL TIME:
2-1/2 hours, including dough rising time

DIFFICULTY:
2

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
pastry or pizza cutter

PRETZELS

3 cups (12-3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (not active dry or rapid-rise)

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

POACHING LIQUID

1/2 cup baked soda (see
page 12
)

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

8 cups (2 quarts) water

TOPPING

1 large egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash pretzel salt, for sprinkling

MAKE THE DOUGH:

For the pretzel dough, whisk the flour, brown sugar, and yeast together in a large bowl to break down any lumps. Stir in the warm water and vegetable oil until a soft dough forms.

Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 3 minutes, until satiny smooth. Spritz a large, clean bowl with cooking spray or grease lightly with vegetable oil and place the dough inside. Spritz or grease a piece of plastic wrap and cover the bowl. Let the dough rise for 1 hour, until doubled in size.

FORM THE PRETZELS:

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Turn the risen dough out onto a clean, unfloured surface and press gently into an 18 by 10-inch rectangle. Using a pastry or pizza cutter, cut parallel to the short (10-inch) side into 12 dough strips, each approximately 1-1/2 inches wide.

Roll each strip into an 18-inch rope. Twist into a pretzel shape by bringing the ends up to form a “U” shape, twisting the sides of the U twice around each other, then bringing the ends back down and pressing gently onto the base of the U.

Place the pretzels on the prepared baking sheets and cover loosely with flour-sack towels or fresh sheets of sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise for another 30 minutes.

POACH AND BAKE:

Preheat the oven to 375°F and prepare the poaching liquid. Bring the 8 cups water to a simmer in a large, wide saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the baked soda and brown sugar and stir until dissolved. The water will foam slightly.

Gently drop the pretzels into the simmering water, a few at a time, and poach for 15 seconds. Use a slotted spoon or metal skimmer to flip the pretzels once halfway through for even poaching and to lift out and drain before returning them to the baking sheets.

Brush the poached ropes with the beaten egg wash. Sprinkle with pretzel salt, if they’ll be eaten fresh. Don’t sprinkle with salt if you plan to freeze and reheat the pretzels.

If baking to freeze
, bake for about 12 to 13 minutes, until the pretzels are
just golden brown and glossy. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
If baking to eat fresh
, extend the baking time by 2 to 3 minutes for a deeper brown.

To freeze, place the cooled baked pretzels on a baking sheet and freeze flat for 1 hour, then transfer to a sealed container or freezer bag for more compact storage. To reheat, brush the frozen pretzels lightly with water and sprinkle with pretzel salt before heating in a 375°F oven or toaster oven for 3 minutes, until warmed.

The pretzels can be frozen for up to 3 months. Eat freshly baked salted pretzels the same day they’re made.

There’s a certain frozen food company that proclaims all over the Internet that it invented jalapeño poppers in 1992, but cooks from Mexico know that the concept of cheese-stuffed, breaded peppers—aka chiles rellenos—has been around far longer. It’s just the official “popper” name that was trademarked and branded the same year that “I’m Too Sexy” became a #1 hit. Still, whoever decided to sub out the knife-and-fork-necessary poblano chile for a bite-size jalapeño is pretty sexy in my book.

YIELD:
16 poppers

TOTAL TIME:
2 hours, including chilling time

DIFFICULTY:
5

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
electric hand mixer (optional), food processor, electric deep fryer (or a large pot and a candy/oil thermometer), latex gloves for handling spicy peppers (see sidebar), heatproof tongs or a metal skimmer or mesh strainer

JALAPEÑOS

2 cups distilled white vinegar

1 cup water

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

8 jalapeño chiles

BATTER

1 cup (4 ounces) masa harina (see
page 13
)

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup whole or reduced-fat milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil