Mozzarella sticks with spicy dipping sauce

50 MINUTES + FREEZING | SERVES 6 AS A NIBBLE EASY | V

Blocks of mozzarella stand up better to deep-frying and will still give you that cheesy, stringy ooze. These are best cooked from frozen, so they are a perfect nibble to squirrel away for when you have friends round.

mozzarella 400g block plain flour 3 tbsp, heavily seasoned eggs 2, beaten panko breadcrumbs 100g garlic salt 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp oil for deep-frying

DIPPING SAUCE olive oil 1Ω tbsp butter 1 tbsp onion Ω, chopped garlic 1 clove, crushed dried chilli flakes a good pinch smoked paprika º tsp tinned chopped tomatoes 100g sugar (any kind) Ω tsp

• Cut the mozzarella into thick slices then into 2cm-wide fingers and leave to sit on kitchen paper for 10 minutes.

• Put the flour, egg and panko into separate bowls. Tip the garlic salt and oregano into the breadcrumbs and toss. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Dip each mozzarella stick first in the flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Line them up on the tray as you coat them, then put in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer into freezer bags.

• To make the sauce, heat the olive oil and butter in a pan, then cook the onion and garlic until really soft. Add the chilli flakes, paprika, tomatoes and sugar, and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. Use a stick blender to whizz until smooth, then freeze. When needed, defrost in a pan and simmer for 5 minutes before serving.

• Fill a pan no more than 1/ full of oil and

3 heat to 180C or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Fry the mozzarella sticks in batches, straight from frozen, for 4-5 minutes until golden brown, and drain on kitchen paper. Serve with the warm dipping sauce.

PER SERVING 381 KCALS | FAT 25.5G SATURATES 11.7G | CARBS 19.5G | SUGARS 1.9G FIBRE 1.4G | PROTEIN 17.8G | SALT 1.6G