Wisconsin Deep Fried Cheese Curds

Do I need to tell you why this got made?  I’m not sure I need to explain the need to eat fried cheese.  In my neck of the woods this is what people live and die for.  If you find good cheese curds at a new eating joint, you tell your friends, it’s a sign of affection. 

A couple of tricks on this, the frying  goes a lot smoother if the cheese curds are popped into the freezer for about 20 minutes before you  batter and fry them.  I am not as technical about temperature as I should be,  I just put the oil on first thing, turn on the heat, and when I've got all the other set up done, I drop a little batter in, if it sizzles and fries I roll with it, if not, I give it a minute.  I generally find that medium heat is best for this.

Set-up is vital, once you start dropping the battered curds into the oil, you CANNOT walk away, they fry fast.  So, set up you serving plate with paper towels, have your salt handy before you drop the first cheese curd into the oil.  A second set of hands is also great, I’m the designated batterer & dropper, my husband usually handles the frying and removal portion of things, but if you've done your set up, you will do just fine on your own. 

On another note, sometimes when I don’t want to spend a ton of money on cheese curds, I simply buy 2 packages of cheese sticks and cut them up, or cheese cubes of various flavors.  No, they are not cheese curds, do they taste delightful anyway. . . yes, yes, they do.  

• 1 ½ Cup Pancake Mix (I use Bisquick)
• ½ Cup Beer
• 1 egg
• ½ Cup Cold Water
• 1 ½ to 2 lb. cheese curds, or various cubed cheeses of your choosing
• Salt (optional)
• Vegetable Oil for frying

Put your cheese curds into the freezer about 20 minutes before you begin your preparations.

Get a pan of oil going on the stove.  I usually use a 4 qt. pot, and add enough oil to go up the sides about 2-3 inches.  Just add enough oil to make it deep enough to float the curds and flip them without them sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Turn the heat onto medium high to start it off.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the cheese curds and blend well.  You should have a pancake like batter; it will be just a little thicker than what you would normally want for pancakes. 

Test the oil with a drop of batter.  If it sizzles and floats to the top of the oil immediately, you are good to go, turn the heat down to medium.  If your droplet of batter sinks to the bottom of the pan, walk away, let the oil get hot, trust me, I have learned this lesson through my impatience many times before. 

Remove the curds from the freezer, and drop a handful into the batter, making sure to turn them and coat them thoroughly with the batter.   Drop the battered cheese curds into the hot oil, I generally use a fork or a slotted spoon for this, so that I can get just a little bit of the excess batter off before they go into the oil.

Fry the curds for maybe a minute per side, they will turn brown and puffy quickly, so keep an eye on them and turn them quickly.  As soon as they are golden and brown on all sides, remove them to the plate you so wisely prepared ahead of time, salt them, and move on to your next batch. 

Once you are done frying all the curds, invite your friends and family to enjoy, or just go curl up on the couch, make peace with yourself, and enjoy them all on your own.