Give Your Caprese Salad A Twist By Frying That Mozzarella

It's hard to beat a classic like Caprese salad. However, that doesn't mean that a fun twist can't create something different and exciting that is just as good in its own right. Of course, that twist shouldn't take the end result too far from the original. One way to bring something new to your appetizer is to deep-fry the mozzarella in your Caprese salad.

The classic Caprese is extremely minimal and relies on good-quality ingredients. Hearty slices of tomatoes layered with fresh mozzarella and basil, seasoned with salt, and a drizzle of olive oil are all you need for a standout dish. By frying the mozzarella you can add a satisfying textural crunch. Additionally, the fried component can offer a warmer alternative for cooler weather. Try it out the next time you have friends over and see how they rank it against the classic!

Frying the mozzarella for your Caprese salad is a bit more work than just laying out fresh slices, but it's not as hard as you think. Slices of mozzarella will work for this but can be tricky because they're thinner so will melt faster during the frying process. For best results, get small mozzarella balls and when you've finished frying them, give them a little squish so you can layer them in. If you want the crispiest mozzarella, be sure to drain any liquid and then dredge the cheese through flour, egg beat together with a splash of milk, and then either panko or golden breadcrumbs.

The two biggest challenges are not having the cheese melt into your fry oil and not taking too long to put the salad together so that you end up with cold mozzarella again. To avoid this, try dredging the cheese at least half an hour before frying, or even the day before, and then storing the cheese in the fridge. This will help with both of those challenges as the cold cheese won't melt as quickly and all you have to do when you want to eat is give the mozzarella a quick fry until golden brown and then you can assemble. Of course, you can always just use frozen mozzarella sticks. It won't be as pretty or as fresh, but the end result will be relatively close.

A Caprese salad's beauty lies in the fresh ingredients and the simplicity of their combination. However, there are a lot of great additions you can make to add a little something extra if you want a change or are looking for something to stand out as new. It could be argued that making those changes means that it isn't a Caprese salad anymore, but as long as it's delicious for both your mouth and your eyes, that's all that really counts.

Along with the olive oil drizzle, you can add a helping of balsamic vinegar for an extra little tang. Pesto can be used in place of basil, either from a jar as a shortcut when you don't have fresh basil, or from scratch for a slightly more complex flavor from the pine nuts and garlic. Or if you want to keep the fresh vibes and even stay true to the Caprese salad's origins with the colors of the Italian flag, you can layer strawberries or avocado into your Caprese salad for some added flavor.