Oh yes. Today we’re making some total comfort food for the season! This is a melty, cheesy, crunchy treat featuring one of my favorite vegetables from this season: asparagus. Yum!
One thing you might be wondering is what the heck that wasabi is doing in the photo. What does wasabi have to do with cheesy asparagus? Good question.
Related: 30 Easy Finger Food Ideas
This appetizer idea is based on a favorite appetizer at a sushi restaurant in my hometown. To be honest, I’m not sure what fried mozzarella and asparagus have to do with sushi, but it’s SO good! So I had to try and figure out how to make my own homemade version.
These do involve a little bit of prep work, but you can do everything ahead of time and then just quickly fry them (and I mean quick, like 30 seconds per asparagus stick) before serving. So these make a fantastic party appetizer that is sure to wow your friends.
That’s also my tactful way of saying, guys, don’t make these unless you’re having a few friends over to help you eat them because they are so good that you’ll end up eating a LOT of cheese all by yourself otherwise. But if that happens, at least there won’t be any witnesses… 🙂
Crunchy, Cheesy Asparagus, serves 6-8 as an appetizer.
12 string cheese sticks
12 stalks of asparagus
2 eggs
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour
oil for frying (I used a combination of peanut and vegetable because that’s what I had on hand.)
First, trim the asparagus stalks so they are about the same length as the cheese sticks, or a bit longer. Use a knife to cut a slit down the center of the string cheese, only cutting about 1/3 to 1/2 way though the stick and not quite all the way to the end. Insert the asparagus stalk.
Dip the whole thing in flour, then into the whisked eggs, and last into the Panko crumbs. Set on a plate and repeat until you’ve assembled all the sticks.
You may find that some of the asparagus don’t seem to want to stay inside the string cheese perfectly. That’s OK! The egg and bread crumbs will act as a binder to hold the sticks together, so don’t worry if they don’t appear perfect.
Once you have all the sticks assembled, pop them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes and up to a few hours. This will help them to stay together better once you start frying, and this means you can prep these hours before you need them.
Heat enough oil in a large pot so the asparagus sticks will be fully submerged once you start cooking. Heat the oil to around 350°F. I like to use a candy thermometer when frying, but you can also simply test the oil by dropping in a small piece of bread and see how quickly it cooks.
Fry each stick for 30-35 seconds, no need to flip these. Then remove to a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil. You can cook a few of these in the pot at once (depending on your pot size), but don’t crowd the pot as it can lower your temperature and make things stick together.
I also recommend using kitchen tongs when frying as it makes it much easier to remove things from the hot oil. You want to be careful as that hot oil will really hurt if you get any on your skin.
For a quick sauce, I combined 3/4 cup mayo, juice from one lime and a teaspoon of wasabi. You can add more or less wasabi depending on how much spice you like. Serve warm with the dipping sauce and watch them disappear. Enjoy! xo. Emma
Love this recipe? Try my Roasted Asparagus!
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Ingredients
- 12 string cheese sticks
- 12 stalks of asparagus
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup flour
- oil for frying (I used a combination of peanut and vegetable because that’s what I had on hand.)
Instructions
- First, trim the asparagus stalks so they are about the same length as the cheese sticks, or a bit longer. Use a knife to cut a slit down the center of the string cheese, only cutting about 1/3 to 1/2 way though the stick and not quite all the way to the end. Insert the asparagus stalk. Dip the whole thing in flour, then into the whisked eggs, and last into the Panko crumbs. Set on a plate and repeat until you’ve assembled all the sticks.
- You may find that some of the asparagus don’t seem to want to stay inside the string cheese perfectly. That’s OK! The egg and bread crumbs will act as a binder to hold the sticks together, so don’t worry if they don’t appear perfect.
- Once you have all the sticks assembled, pop them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes and up to a few hours. This will help them to stay together better once you start frying, and this means you can prep these hours before you need them.
- Heat enough oil in a large pot so the asparagus sticks will be fully submerged once you start cooking. Heat the oil to around 350°F. I like to use a candy thermometer when frying, but you can also simply test the oil by dropping in a small piece of bread and see how quickly it cooks.
- Fry each stick for 30-35 seconds, no need to flip these. Then remove to a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil. You can cook a few of these in the pot at once (depending on your pot size), but don’t crowd the pot as it can lower your temperature and make things stick together. I also recommend using kitchen tongs when frying as it makes it much easier to remove things from the hot oil. You want to be careful as that hot oil will really hurt if you get any on your skin.
These look great! The cheese sticks totally reminded me of hearts of palm and it dawned on me that this recipe may work with asparagus in hearts of palm too, for a different, tangy experience. Might have to sprinkle some cheese on top to get some cheese in there tho 🙂
I also lived in Springfield for a while and have had those yummy mozz/asparagus appetizers at the very restaurant you mentioned. Can’t wait to make these at home since I’ve moved!
This looks so delicious! I am a fan of anything with cheese ^_^
Laila | Townhouse Palette
Yum! Those look so good!
Laura
http://laurahager.blogspot.com/
Dangerous stuff – I might have to try them! xx
Holy yum! I know what I’m taking to the 4th of July cookout! (:
I started reading and thought of Kai! Now can try these at home! Thank you!
This looks so delicious. Definitely going to try it out soon 🙂
tonixox.blogspot.com
Hi Brenda! You are more than welcome to share our posts 🙂 Thanks for reading! -Jacki
These look delightful and exciting! I know my taste buds are going to go wild trying them. Thanks for sharing!
Oh, I am sorry…it just occurred to me, I shared this on my facebook page without getting your permission. I am so new to facebook and have no clue what all the rules are. Email me and let me know if I need to figure out how to remove it. Again I am sorry.
Vegetables wrapped in cheese is something I could easily get used to!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Omg this looks so delicious!!
They do look amazing! Does the asparagus cook/soften enough in 30 seconds?
Woah! What a great idea! Sometimes I have a hard time getting into asparagus, but I would definitely eat these! Haha! Really creative. Yum!
Happy Summer!
xx Lane
I’ve been looking for different recipes for asparagus, this one is definitely one that I’ll be trying! Seems simple and delicious! 🙂
I have a bunch of asparagus I need to use up, I think I’ll be trying these out! They look delicious.
These look mouth watering! Seriously need these little guys in my life!
http://thatsmagsforyou.com
wow these look yum!
I love asparagus! I’ve never tried it this way though, might have to give it a go 🙂
Erika
http://whaterikawears.com/
God, wish i could have now some asparagurs