Sexy Cheese Sticks

Today I made Sexy Cheese Sticks

One of my favourite starters in the likes of TGI Fridays or Captain Americas are the mozzarella sticks. There's something so comforting about melted cheese coated in a crunchy lightly spiced crumb. It's almost like having some kind of abstract toasted cheese sandwich. When I first started making my own mozzarella sticks I was using mozzarella cheese and shaping it into the shape I was looking for then I started experimenting with different types of cheese, some would melt too much, some wouldn't melt at all and some weren't stringy, which is the most important feature of this dish, you want a good stringy cheese for visual effect as well the mouth feel. So I though what better cheese to use for a stringy effect than.... A cheese string.

In my eyes Cheese Strings are the perfect cheese to use for making cheese sticks, as they melt amazingly, are good and stringy and are already in the shape you want the cheese to be in. I use a number of different ingredients in the crumb for this dish as it really adds a depth of flavour as well as cutting through the taste of the cheese. The ingredients I use are Sea Salt and Black Pepper, Paprika, Garlic, Red Chili, Lime Zest and a small amount of my all time favourite Cajun Spice. The Chili and Paprika add a level of heat which really complement the heat of the melted cheese and the Lime Zest cuts through the heaviness of the cheese. The Garlic, Salt and Pepper add a delicious base for which the other ingredients build.

Ingredients:

(Makes 8) 

• 8 Cheese Strings
• 3 Slices of White Bread
• 1 Medium Red Chili 
• Zest of 1 Lime
• 2 Cloves of Garlic - Crushed
• 1 Large Egg
• 60g OO' Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Paprika
• 1 Teaspoon Cajun Spice
• Pinch of Salt and Black Pepper

Instructions: 

1.Blitz the three slices of bread in a food processor to make the breadcrumbs, finely slice the Red Chili, Crush the Garlic Cloves and Zest the Lime and add into the the breadcrumbs. Season with Salt and Pepper.

2. Unwrap the Cheese Strings and lay out ready to crumb.

3. Set up your crumbing station by putting out three dishes. In the first dish place the OO' Flour and a pinch of salt, in the second crack and whisk the Egg and in the third place the seasoned Flour.

4. Place a Cheese String into the seasoned Flour and toss till coated, then place into the beaten Egg mixture. 

5. Place the Cheese straight from the Egg mixture straight into the breadcrumb mixture and  coat fully. You can repeat the Flour, Egg, Breadcrumb process again if you want a slightly thicker crumb. I normally do the process twice. 

6. Repeat the Process to the rest of the Cheese Strings and set out on a plate ready to be fried. Heat a large pan of oil to a medium in which you can fry the Cheese Strings.

7. Fry each Cheese String for 3-6 minutes or until golden brown. Serve the Crispy, Stringy Cheese Sticks with a Salad of choice and Sweet Chili Sauce for dipping. Serve while still warm.

"No Strings attached"

Giant Sausage Roll

Today I made a Giant Sausage Roll

This is the ultimate sausage roll. Making this Recipe gave me a slight Epic meal time-esque vibe. Sausage Rolls are no longer just party or picnic food. This one is big enough to make the perfect centerpiece for a gathering with family or friends, makes for a perfect family dinner or a series of yummy snacks. Myself and my college roommate have developed a new obsession for Sausage Rolls so i decided to experiment with making my own. I didn't just want to make regular Sausage Rolls so I started thinking about it on a larger scale. It turned out to be one of the most tasty and delicious pastry based dishes I've ever made.

I use a high quality Pork Sausage for this Recipe and flavour it up with a number of my favourite ingredients. Crushed Garlic, Red Chili, Lime Zest, Paprika, Cajun Spice and Sea Salt and Back Pepper. Some Recipes I researched included the likes of Apple Sauce, Onion and even cabbage but I wanted to keep the mixture as pure as possible. One of the best things about Sausage Rolls is the great meaty taste. Focusing only on enriching the meat. I use a mixture of the heat of red chili the freshness and zest of the Lime and the depth of the Garlic. The Paprika and Cajun Spice adds a smokey taste and really adds to the colour of the mixture.

Ingredients: 

For the Pastry:

• 454g bread flour
• 114g all-purpose flour
• 10g salt
• 270g water, ice cold
• 370g cold butter

• Or one pack of store bought Puff pastry

For the Filling:

• 16 Sausages
• 1 Lime
• 1 Medium Red Chilli 
• 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
• 2 Teaspoons Paprika
• 2 Teaspoons Cajun Spice 
• Cracked Black Pepper

Instructions:

For the Pastry:

1. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer that is fitted with a dough hook. Gradually stir in water until the dough holds together enough to clean the sides of the bowl. You may not need the full amount of water. Shape into a flat ball, and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.

2. Place the butter between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound into a flat disc using a rolling pin or other heavy object. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Place the disc of chilled butter in the center and fold the two ends over it so that it is completely encased in dough. Roll out the dough again, taking care not to let the butter break through the dough, to about 1/2 inch thickness. 

4. Fold into thirds. This is the first ''turn''. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll out into a rectangle again. Fold into thirds. By this time the butter is starting to warm up. Place the dough on a baking sheet and mark it with two pokes from your finger (two turns). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

5. Repeat this rolling, folding and turning two more times, then refrigerate until firm. Repeat two more times for a total of 6 ''turns''. Wrap and refrigerate.

For the Sausage Meat:

1. Skin the Sausages and put the Sausage Meat into a large bowl and Season. Break up the Sausage Meat with a fork. 

2. Add in the Finely Chopped Red Chili, Crushed Garlic Cloves Lime Zest, Paprika, Cajun Spice and Seasoning. Mix thoroughly with a fork

3. Roll out your pastry into a large rectangle, ensuring the edges are cut into straight lines - this ensure an even covering of pastry. Beat the Egg in a small bowl.

5. Place your Sausage Meat all along the center of the Pastry. Ensuring to keep it even all the way along. Also bringing the Sausage Meat almost to the very end on either side. This ensure that nobody gets just a slice of pastry.

6. Brush the Beaten Egg along all sides of the pastry, this will act as the glue to keep the Sausage Roll together. Fold over one side of the Pastry and press firmly around the Sausage Meat. The fold then other side over allowing the Pastry to overlap slightly.

7. Turn the Sausage Roll over so the Pastry folds are on the bottom. Shape the Sausage Roll with our hands so it's rounded more so that flat. Place on a baking mat on a making tray. Using a fork, crimp both ends - this makes it look nice, prevents the Sausage Meat from escaping during cooking and creates more surface area so the pastry is nice a crispy at the ends. Score carefully with a sharp knife along the top.

8. Brush the entire Sausage Roll with the beaten Egg, making sure not to forget the ends and the sides as this will help the pastry crisp up.

9. Bake in a preheated oven at 190C for 30-35 minutes, until Pastry is golden brown.

"They see me Sausage Rollin'"

Chickendales

Today I made Chili, Lime and Parmesan Chicken Strippers 

Everybody seems to love Chicken Strippers, from young to old and every age in between. From Chicken Nuggets for the kids all the way to Chicken Strippers for the adults.They seem to be a staple on most bar and restaurant menus along with being a huge feature in fast food joints along with the new addition to most pizzerias. Yet it's very rare that I come across Chicken Goujons that actually taste how I want them to taste. They're either too dry, really soggy, chewy to the point where you question if you're actually eating Chicken or just have no flavour. These Chicken Strippers are Crunchy and Crispy on the outside with Juicy, Succulent Chicken on the inside. 

The flavours in these Chicken Strippers live up to the real Chippendale's. They'r hot and spicy, zesty and fresh and just a little but cheesy but they make it work. For an extra crunch I use crispy Bread Rolls to make the Breadcrumb coating instead of regular Bread as using regular bread can sometimes be too soft and fine. The Red Chilli adds a little spice to the Strippers , I remove the seeds and cut up the flesh very fine so the heat kick is very subtle. You don't get it straight away but after a few seconds you get that lovely warm feeling. The lime zest adds a freshness to Strippers and the Parmesan adds a dept of cheesy flavour that's incomparable

Ingredients:

(Serves 4-6 ) 

• 4 Chicken Fillets
• 2 Large Eggs
• 2 Demi Baguette
• 80g Flour
• Sea Salt
• Cracked Black Pepper
• 1 Medium Red Chilli
• 1 Large Lime
• 60g Parmesan 
• Chili Sauce - To serve
• Mixed Leaves - To serve

Instructions:

1. Slice Chicken Fillets into long strips, season and set aside.

2. Place Demi Baguettes into a Food Processor and blitz until you reach the Breadcrumbs stage, leave with a little texture - not too fine.

3. Cut the top off the Chilli and remove the seeds. Slice length ways into stick then again so the Chili is cut very fine. Zest the lime.

4. Place the Breadcrumbs into a large dish. Add in the finely diced Red Chilli and and the Lime Zest and mix through. Then add in the dried Parmesan. 

5. Set out three dishes. In the first place the flour and season with the Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper. In the second, crack and whisk the 2 large Eggs add it a squeeze of Lime Juice. The third contains your Chili, Lime and Parmesan Coating.

6. Take each Chicken Strip and coat in the Seasoned Flour. Toss around so each is fully covered. I normally do this step one Strip at a time.

7. From the Flour you dip your Chicken Strip into the beaten Egg and then into the Chili, Lime and Parmesan Coating.

8. Heat Olive Oil in a Pan until it reaches 190-200C. Place 3-4 Chicken Strippers into the pan at a time to monitor cooking. Cook until golden brown. Place onto some Kitchen Paper to soak any additional Olive Oil - Because you are cooking at such a high temperature the Chicken Strippers don't take on much Oil.

9. Serve Chicken Strippers with a mixed Salad, a portion of Sweet Chilli Sauce and a wedge of Lime.

"They're Finger Lickin' Good"