STUFFED TOMATO CHEESE BALLS – DECONSTRUCTING CAPRESE

Ingredients

• 1 cup Cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup fresh Mozzarella
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• 1 tsp crushed black pepper
• 1 large egg (or 3 tbsp of corn starch made into a thin batter using water)
• 1 1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

Directions

1. Cut the tops of the cherry tomatoes and scoop out the insides.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and stuff them into the scooped out tomatoes.
3. Beat the egg or prepare the corn-starch batter. Spread out the bread crumbs onto a platter.
4. Roll the tomatoes in the egg/batter. Roll them in the bread crumb platter.
5. Repeat step 4.
6. Use your hands to lightly dust off the excess bread crumbs.
7. Add the coated stuffed tomatoes into hot oil.
8. Flip them gently to make sure they get fried evenly on all sides.
9. Once they turn golden, drain them onto paper towels.
10. Keep an eye on them when getting fried. If allowed to stay in hot oil for long, the cheese begins to ooze out.
11. Use one of the multiple serving ideas for these deconstructed Caprese balls.

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