Fried Cheese Curds (Wisconsin, USA)
Fried cheese curds are basically America's answer to fried mozzarella. Fresh, bite-size chunks of cheese, battered and fried. These golden nuggets give french fries a run for their money in the Cheese State.
Equipment
- Normal Kitchen Utensils
Ingredients
- 1 Lb. Fresh Cheese Curds
- 3 C or More Corn or Vegetable Oil For Frying
- 1/2 C All Purpose Flour Packed
- 1/2 C Beer
- 1 Large Egg
- Salt to Taste
Instructions
- Pour your oil into a pot and begin heating to 350 degrees. I can get away with 3 C oil in a 3 quart sauce pan, but you may need more depending on your pot dimensions. Aim to cover the battered cheese curds with at least a half inch of oil, and make sure your oil level is nowhere near the top of the pot.3 C or More Corn or Vegetable Oil
- Whisk the egg, beer, flour and a pinch of salt together to form a batter. Whisk just enough to get rid of clumps.The batter should be relatively light. Thick enough to coat the curds consistently and create a light crunch, but not so thick as to feel like a hushpuppy. The batter should coat your whisk (or fork) and begin dripping within a second.1/2 C All Purpose Flour, 1/2 C Beer, Salt to Taste, 1 Large Egg
- Break apart the cheese curds into individual pieces and set out a drying rack or plate lined with paper towels (for draining after frying).1 Lb. Fresh Cheese Curds
- Once the oil has reached 350 degrees, add a third of the curds to the batter and toss to coat. Drip off any excess batter and add to the hot oil, being careful not to cause any splashing. It is best to add the curds to the oil one by one, to help prevent them from sticking together during frying.Note: if you don't have a thermometer, you can test the oil using a drop of batter. When the oil is hot, the batter should sizzle and release air bubbles right away.
- Fry 2-3 minutes, or until the batter is cooked to a light golden brown.
- Remove the fried batch from the oil, place on the prepared drying rack and sprinkle with salt to taste. Fry the remaining curds in two more batches.
- Let the fried cheese curds rest 2-3 minutes before serving. They go great with ranch dressing and a cold beer.
Notes
Instead of sprinkling with salt, try Cajun seasoning. It isn’t authentic, but it’s pretty good.
The common type is probably yellow cheddar, but feel free to try any flavor of cheese curd you can get.
Pro tip on the excess batter: once all the curds are fried, keep the oil hot and slowly pour the unused batter in, similar to frying a funnel cake. Once fried, let it drain on the rack before topping with honey or powdered sugar, some cinnamon and maybe some blueberries or a sliced banana. It is *chef’s kiss* delicious.
Fun Fact: Wisconsin produces over 600 types of cheese (more than double the runner-up state). Learn more about their cheese prowess here.
Fried cheese curds apparently have history dating back to Ancient Rome, when a dish called Globuli was made. Beyond frying, curds are the toppers on a Canadian staple: poutine.