Tyler Florences Fried Zucchini Mozzarella And Green Olives Recipes

TYLER FLORENCE'S FRIED ZUCCHINI, MOZZARELLA AND GREEN OLIVES

Steps:

• Place 2-3 inches of vegetable oil in pan with whole garlic cloves (in cold oil) heat to frying temperature (this is about 180°C).
• In 3 separate bowls place flour in one, eggs and milk whisked, and panko breadcrumbs. Salt and pepper each.
• Slice zucchini and cut mozzarella in nice bite sized chunks.
• Bread zucchini, mozzarella and olives by coating in flour, then egg wash then breadcrumbs. (My tip is to use a dry hand and a wet hand, this will keep you from getting big blobs of flour and breadcrumbs on your fingers! I will put more detailed instructions on how I do this below).
• Fry breaded items until lightly golden.
• Serve with a nice sprinkling of sea salt, fresh basil and a squeeze of lemon juice!

HOMEMADE MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring a gallon of water to a boil.
• In a large bowl, break up the mozzarella curd into small pieces. Coat the curd with 2 tablespoons of salt, and set aside.
• In another large bowl, salt the second gallon of water with the remaining salt and add as much ice as it can hold.
• This is where it gets a little tricky. Carefully pour the boiling water over the salted curd. As the curds begin to melt, carefully stir with a wooden spoon for 1 minute. Submerge both of your hands in the ice water for as long as you can stand it, because you're about to stretch the mozzarella in boiling hot water. The curd will have settled into the bottom of the bowl, and at this point you have to work quickly or risk over-cooking the curd.
• Dip your hands into the hot water and begin stretching the mozzarella. By stretching the cheese you insure that all the curds have completely melted. The curds will become incredibly soft and have buttery shine, and also, it smells wonderful. Form the mozzarella into tomato size balls, and then drop the mozzarella into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Work quickly, as the mozzarella will start to become rubbery the longer it sits in the hot water.
• Wrap each mozzarella ball tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• Serve the cheese with the best tomatoes you can find, really fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, salt and fresh cracked pepper.

FRIED ZUCCHINI FLOWERS

Steps:

• Pour 3 inches of oil in a deep fryer or large, heavy pot and heat to 375 degrees F.
• In a deep mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks and pour in the ice water; mix to combine. Add the flour and continue to mix until the batter is the consistency of heavy cream. Dip 2 zucchini flowers at a time in the batter to coat completely, letting the excess drip off. Fry the flowers in the hot oil for 2 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Drain the fried flowers on a platter lined with paper towels, season with salt and pepper while they are still hot. Repeat with the remaining zucchini flowers.

CARPACCIO OF RAW ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Shingle the zucchini slices in a single overlapping layer on a platter. Dust with salt and pepper, then drizzle with a 3-count of olive oil and the lemon juice. Put that into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to give the flavors a chance to get into the zucchini. Now scatter the leeks over. Sprinkle with the herbs. Garnish garnish with the ricotta cheese and mint leaves, if using; serve.

FRIED ZUCCHINI AND MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Beat 2 eggs and 1/4 cup water in a shallow dish. Put 1/2 cup flour in another dish. Mix 3/4 cup breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, and salt and pepper in another dish. Cut 1 zucchini into sticks. Dredge in the flour, then in the eggs and breadcrumbs. Repeat with 12 bocconcini. Heat about 1/2 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the zucchini and mozzarella in batches, turning once, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt. Serve with spicy marinara sauce and lemon wedges.