Fried Brussels Sprouts with Cheese

These airy and crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside tempura-battered fried Brussels sprouts are an out of the ordinary take on classic Japanese tempura vegetables. Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar melts beautifully into the split Brussels sprouts, but is contained by the ultimate tempura. We bet you won’t be able to eat just one! Try them out and then share the recipe with friends and family on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter! 

Ingredients

16 small to medium Brussels sprouts
16 (¼-inch thick) slices Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup rice flour (you can substitute all-purpose flour if you cannot find rice flour)
⅔ cup cold plain seltzer or sparkling water
Canola, peanut, or sunflower oil for frying
Fine salt

*Optional for dipping: ¼ cup of mayonnaise plus ¼ cup Cabot Plain Greek Yogurt mixed with 2 tablespoons of hot sauce & salt and pepper, to taste.

Directions

To make these amazing Brussels sprouts with cheese, submerge the Brussels sprouts in boiling water and let them boil for 5-8 minutes, or until you can easily insert a sharp knife into them. Then strain and plunge them into an ice water bath for 5 minutes. Strain again and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Split the sprouts from the top about halfway down and pry open, leaving the stems intact to help hold them together. Slide a piece of Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar into the open sprout, squeeze shut, and thread onto a skewer to keep the Brussels sprout shut. Repeat with remaining sprouts. 

Pour about 3 inches of oil into a high-sided pan and place over medium heat. Bring the oil up to 350°F. 

Whisk the all-purpose flour and rice flour together and add the cold seltzer or sparkling water, being careful not to overmix. You may still find some small lumps in the batter. Lift one skewer at a time, dip it into the tempura batter and lift to allow the excess to drip away. Lower carefully into the hot oil. You may fry several sprouts at a time. Fry each batch for about 2 minutes, or until the tempura batter is golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate or a rack to drain for a minute before sprinkling with fine salt. Serve alone or with the hot sauce mayonnaise (see recipe instructions for how to make) for dipping.

For another cheesy broccoli appetizer, try these Cheesy Broccoli Tots and Cheddar Onion Sauce. Cabot is a co-operative of over 1,100 farm families who continuously strive to produce the best dairy products around. If you love these fried Brussels sprouts as much as we do, we’d really appreciate it if you could rate and review the recipe when you have the chance!

Recipe and photo courtesy of Rebecca Lindamood.