Best Flaming Hot Cheese Curds Recipes

BEER BATTERED CHEESE CURDS WITH HOMEMADE RANCH

Steps:

• Fill a Dutch oven with about 1 inch oil and heat to 375 degrees F over medium-high heat. Have a paper towel-lined plate or brown paper bag ready for draining the curds. Meanwhile, toss the cheese curds with 1/4 cup flour in a bowl. Whisk the remaining 3/4 cup flour together with the beer, milk, egg and 1/4 teaspoon salt in another bowl.
• When the oil is hot, take a handful of the curds, shake off the excess flour, and add them to the batter. Let the excess batter drip off, then add the curds to the oil. Fry until puffed and golden, about 1 minute, then transfer to the paper bag with a strainer or slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining cheese curds.
• Serve immediately with the Ranch dressing.
• Whisk the mayo and buttermilk together with the scallions, parsley, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, a rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of pepper in a bowl. Transfer to a small serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.

DENVER SCRAMBLE WITH CHEESE CURDS

Steps:

• Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Spread the French fries on the hot baking sheet and cook, stirring once, until crisp and golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, Canadian bacon, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, until the vegetables are browned around the edges and tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Whisk the eggs with the milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet. Stir in the egg mixture and scallion and cook, stirring and folding gently, until lightly set and fluffy, about 4 minutes; add the cheese curds during the last minute of cooking. Remove from the heat and stir once or twice until the eggs just finish cooking, about 2 minutes.
• Divide the eggs among plates. Serve with the French fries.

CRISPY CHEESE CURD RISOTTO CAKE

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, high-sided skillet, and add the onion. Cook over medium heat until soft and sweet, about 10 minutes. Add the rice and salt and cook, stirring, until well coated in butter, about 2 minutes. Pour in the white wine and cook, stirring, until it evaporates. Add 1/2 cup water and cook, stirring frequently, until it has been absorbed. Repeat, adding 1/2 cup water at a time, until the rice swells and becomes tender. This should take about 15 minutes and about 3 to 3 1/2 cups water. The texture of the risotto should be softly flowing but not soupy.
• Stir in the Parmesan, and transfer the risotto to a wide bowl. When it is cool enough to touch, fold in the cheese curds.
• Line an 8-inch-square baking dish with plastic wrap, leaving plenty of overhang on all sides. Pour the risotto into the dish, smooth the top, and cover with the overhanging plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours, or as long as overnight.
• Before serving, clarify the remaining 8 tablespoons butter: Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat until it foams and starts to turn dark blond on top, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the butter sit for a few minutes. Then tilt the skillet toward you and gently spoon off and discard the top layer of foam. Pour the clear golden butter into another bowl, discarding the dark dregs at the bottom of the skillet.
• Unmold the risotto cake onto a cutting board. Cut it into eight 1-inch-wide slabs, and then cut each rectangle into thirds to make 24 pieces. Put the rice flour in a shallow dish. Dip the tops and bottoms of the risotto cakes in the flour, and transfer them to a platter or baking sheet.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Heat a large nonstick saute pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough clarified butter to lightly coat the bottom, and when it's hot, add as many risotto cakes as will fit in the pan. Fry until a dark golden brown crust forms on both sides and the cheese inside is melted, about 4 minutes. Keep the fried risotto cakes warm in the oven while you fry the rest of them. Serve immediately.

FRIED CHEESE CURDS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the club soda and mix until smooth. Add the cheese curds to the batter and coat thoroughly.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reads 360 degrees F. Fry the cheese curds for about 1 minute, turning halfway through. Drain on paper towels. Serve the fried cheese curds with marinara or your favorite dipping sauce.

HOMEMADE CHEESE CURDS

Steps:

• Pour milk into a sterilized pot. Place pot into a larger pot filled with a few inches of water. Heat milk, stirring occasionally, to 90 degrees F (32 degrees C). Remove from heat.
• Dissolve calcium chloride in 1/4 cup water; stir into the milk. Sprinkle mesophilic culture over the surface of the milk. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir gently for 1 minute. Cover and let culture ripen for 35 minutes.
• Dilute rennet with 1/4 cup water. Stir rennet into the milk mixture for exactly 1 minute. Cover again and let sit until a knife can cut cleanly through the curd, about 45 minutes. Cut curd into 1/2- to 1-inch cubes directly in the pot. Let sit for 5 minutes.
• Cover curds and heat, stirring every 10 minutes, to 98 degrees F (37 degrees C), about 90 minutes. Squeeze curds together to check if they stick. Drain curds and transfer to a cheesecloth-lined strainer set inside a pot.
• Pour enough whey over the curds to reach about 3 inches at the bottom of the pot. Let drain for about 1 minute. Cover with cheesecloth and the pot lid. Heat the whey below to keep curds between 112 and 115 degrees F (44 and 46 degrees C); let drain for 10 minutes. Curds will stick together to form a slab. Cut slab in half, re-cover, and let drain for 10 minutes.
• Flip curds over and re-wrap. Drain for 10 minutes more, keeping the temperature still between 112 and 115 degrees F (44 and 46 degrees C). Cut the slab into smaller slabs and stack them inside the cloth. Return to the pot and cover. Continue draining, flipping and rearranging the slabs every 15 minutes at the same steady temperature, about 1 hour total.
• Unwrap the slabs and let them rest for a few minutes on a paper towel-lined plate. Cut into cubes and place curds in a zip-top bag. Add 1/2 of the salt; shake to coat. Add remaining salt and repeat.

REAL WISCONSIN FRIED CHEESE CURDS

Steps:

• Heat corn oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Whisk together milk, flour, beer, salt, and eggs to form a smooth, rather thin batter. Place cheese curds, about 6 or 8 at a time, into the batter, stir to coat, and remove with wire strainer. Shake the curds a time or two to remove excess batter. Deep fry the curds until golden brown, 1 or 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels; serve hot.