Gluten Free Cheese Brogies

Now, I know you don't even know what a cheese brogie is.

Well, for the longest time, neither did I. Until I met the boy. We used to eat at mom-and-pop hamburger places together all the time. (Greasy burgers are very romantic! Hence, our Valentine's visit to Five Guys Burgers :). We used to frequent Fancy Freeze in Boise, Idaho during hot summers when I was working at a candy store downtown. Well, apparently, Idaho has such thing as a cheese brogie. As far as I can tell, it was coined by the Swiss Village Cheese Factory in Nampa, Idaho, and that cheese brogies (in the sense I'm about to demonstrate) are still sold at the Hungry Onion in Meridian. Any other brogie officianados can certainly help me out with the history and origins.

Basically, it's a deep-fried cheese fritter. Mozzarella stick. So-called cheese curds from A&W. Same difference.

Also, this recipe is not for the faint of heart. It involves precise timing, and a boiling pot of oil. And consumption of lots of cheese in a short period of time. Don't say I didn't warn you! Please, please be careful, and maybe don't do this if you have little ones who are learning about the stove right now.

We developed this recipe from the delicious onion rings from Life, Gluten Free. The breading translates well in this application too!

Cheese Brogies

1/4 cup sorghum flour

1/8 cup cornmeal

1/8 cup tapioca starch

1/8 cup potato starch

1/4 teaspoon garlic pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed

1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 heaping tablespoon sour cream

1/4 cup water

4 mozzarella cheese sticks

Mix together all of the batter ingredients except the cheese sticks. Unwrap cheese sticks and slice into small rounds - about 10 slices per one ounce cheese stick. Drop the slices into the batter and stir around.

In a small pan, heat 3/4 inch of oil. Using a fork and spoon combo, scoop up a cheese slice with the fork, holding the spoon under it with some of the batter. Drop into the hot oil (medium heat on my stove) and pour the batter over it. Flip with a fork after about 20-30 seconds, and cook until very light brown.

The secret here - the amount of time between "sufficiently brown" and the cheese melting point is very short. If you cook just until light brown, you can scoop the brogie out with a clean fork before the cheese starts to ooze into the oil. Like I said, this may be an "experienced frying activity." (I have frying experience from managing a restaurant back in the day.) Drop onto a paper-towel lined plate and invite your hungry subjects into the kitchen.

Serve with homemade marinara sauce, or Hunt's Garlic and Herb sauce.