Abruzzo Recipe: Formaggio Fritto (Fried Cheese)
‘Formaggio fritto’ literally (fried cheese) is a traditional dish from the city of Teramo in the Abruzzi Region
It is one of the most delicious, tasty and traditional dishes of the Abruzzo region. The origin of this dish comes from pastoralism, which has been key for centuries in this region. Still, today whether in a farmhouse, a ‘Sagra’ (festival), or a starred restaurant, fried cheese will be never missing on the table.
Difficulty
Easy
Preparation
10 min
Cooking
10 min
Serves
4 people
Ingredients
For the batter:
- 1 medium organic egg (about 70 gr)
- 4 tbs of flour (white strong)
- 125 ml of water
- a pinch of salt.
Cheese:
- 4 slices of young sheep, cow or mixed cheese (of 1 cm thick)
For frying:
1 liter of seed oil (Sunflower or any other)
Tools
- A plastic bowl
- Small deep frying pan
- A plate
Preparation
Start by preparing the batter.
In a small plastic bowl beat the egg, add the water and flour. Mix it well! It should about the same consistency of custard cream. Add water if it is too strong, or extra flour if too liquid.
Bring the oil to temperature (around 160 C degrees), put some extra flour into the plate, and cover the cheese with some flour so that the batter sticks well around the cheese.
Deep the cheese into the batter, help yourself with a fork to lift the cheese, and let the extra butter drop. Slowly drop into the hot oil and fry until brown.
Dry the extra oil over some kitchen paper or frying paper and serve immediately.
BUON APPETITO!
Nonna’s Top Secrets:
- Use pecorino cheese
- Use organic fresh eggs
- Use cheese with truffle and add some truffle paste to the batter.
Don’t forget
- Drop the cheese carefully into the oil.