Fried Bocconcini with Spicy Tomato & Garlic Chutney

Happy First Day of Sunday Football!

I never used to be a huge fan of football until I started dating Tony, who is a huge Chargers fan (which I guess makes me a fan by default, since I hate the Raiders and 49ers anyway).  I've watched the games with him over the past three years, getting familiar with the players and teams, and followed his fantasy football teams every season...all FOUR of them!  Crazy, right?  Well, this year is my first season of having a fantasy team of my own, and although I'm not expecting to win the whole thing, hopefully I'll be capable of at least staying out of last place! 

Even though I now understand the game and am familiar with most of the players, I mainly look forward to football season because it's a great time to get together with friends, crack a beer, and enjoy great food.  There are so many delicious game day appetizers to enjoy, like this one.  I discovered this recipe at the same time that I discovered the Twice Baked Potato recipe, which I wrote about a few posts back.  This recipe was also featured on the "Football Weekend" episode of Giada at Home, on Food Network.  

Although I love fried mozzarella, what really convinced me to try this recipe was the tomato chutney.  I am a HUGE fan of tomato chutney and prefer it over typical dipping sauces such as marinara sauce.  I think chutney has so much more depth and flavor, and this chutney recipe certainly did!  I was a little hesitant about the strength of the ginger flavor because it has such a strong smell when chopping the fresh root, but once it's cooked with the rest of the ingredients, the flavor intensity is just right.  It blends perfectly with the tomatoes and spices, and none of the flavors compete with one another.  Best of all, the house smelled AMAZING while it was cooking!  Definitely give this recipe a try--if not the mozzarella balls, then at least try out this chutney.  You'll never want to dip anything in simple marinara sauce again!

Deep Fried Bocconcini with Spicy Tomato and Garlic Chutney
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Recipe from Giada at Home - "Football Weekend" episode
Prep time:  18 minutes
Cook time:  58 minutes
Difficulty:  Easy
Yield:  6-8 servings (Or 2, if you eat like Tony and I! LOL)

Ingredients:
For the bocconcini:
16 (1-inch diameter) balls bocconcini mozzarella cheese
2 cups all purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 eggs, beaten
3 cups seasoned Italian style breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying

For the chutney:
8 cloves of garlic
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes

Directions:
For the bocconcini:
Drain the bocconcini and pat dry with paper towels.  Put on a paper towel lined plate and allow to dry in the refrigerator for 2 hours.  Put the flour in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Put the eggs in a second medium bowl and the bread crumbs in a third medium bowl.  Coat the bocconcini in flour and then dip into the eggs.  Roll the bocconcini in the bread crumbs until coated.  Dip the coated bocconcini, again, in the eggs and then coat with bread crumbs.  Freeze the breaded bocconcini for 20 minutes.

For the chutney:
In a blender, combine the garlic, ginger, 1/4 tsp salt, red wine vinegar, sugar, olive oil, cumin, and cayenne pepper.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan and add the tomatoes.  Bring the mixture to a boil, over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick, about 45-55 minutes.  Using the back of a wooden spoon, gently break up the tomatoes as they begin to soften during cooking.  Season with salt, to taste.  Let the chutney cool to room temperature, about 35 minutes.  Place in a serving bowl.

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour in enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way.  Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer reaches 375 degrees.  In batches, fry the bocconcini until golden brown, about 15-20 seconds.  Drain on paper towels.

Arrange the bocconcini on a platter and serve the chutney alongside as an accompaniment.

Notes:

• Despite the title, "Spicy Tomato Chutney," it really isn't very spicy.  The 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper barely gives it a hint of spiciness; I might add more next time.
• I couldn't find 1-inch balls of bocconcini so I bought a tub of four 2-inch balls, and after draining, just cut each into fourths. 
• Instead of using regular bread crumbs, I used panko breadcrumbs and seasoned it myself:  about 1 tsp of basil, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, and 2 tsp of parsley and parmesan cheese.
• The order of the recipe is a little misleading--I drained and dried the bocconcini in the fridge, then a little after an hour later, started on the chutney.  This way, while the chutney is cooking, the bocconcini will be ready for breading, and then the chutney can finish cooking while the mozzarella balls are in the freezer.  By the time the mozzarella balls are taken out of the freezer and fried, the chutney should be cooled and ready for serving.
• I don't have a deep-frying thermometer.  I just used my own judgement by testing the frying oil.  Throw a small piece of bread in the hot oil--if it starts to bubble as soon as it hits the oil, the oil is ready.