Beer-Battered Jalapeno Cheese Curds: The Wisconsin Bar Snack, Fried Properly at Home

National Cheese Curd Day fell on 15 October, and one chain has built a whole month around it. Culver’s is running Curdtoberfest throughout October, a tribute to its Wisconsin roots that includes the return of Jalapeno Cheese Curds, and the chain says its guests order millions of servings of Wisconsin cheese curds each year. The Takeout reported on 30 September that the jalapeno curds, like the new Smoked Cheddar CurderBurger, are available only during the event.

Fresh curds are young cheddar, before pressing and ageing, and at room temperature they squeak against the teeth. Fried in batter, the outside turns crisp while the inside softens but holds. This is the best-known form of the snack, a staple of Wisconsin and Minnesota bars and state fairs.

Fresh curds squeak because their protein strands are still elastic, and the effect fades within a day or two as the cheese relaxes, which is why curds are sold fresh and often kept at room temperature on the counter. Fried curds are best when the cheese is still springy.

This is a home batter, not Culver's recipe. A cold lager keeps it light, a little cornflour keeps it crisp and chopped pickled jalapenos put the heat in the coating. The curds must be cold when they hit the oil, or they will burst and leak.

Ingredients

Serves 4 as a snack. Total time about 50 minutes, including freezing the curds.

• 400 g fresh white cheddar cheese curds
• 30 g plain flour, for dredging
• For the batter: 120 g plain flour, 30 g cornflour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon fine salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 30 g pickled jalapenos, drained and finely chopped
• 180 ml very cold lager
• About 1.2 litres neutral oil, for frying
• For the dip: 100 g sour cream, 50 g mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon chopped chives, 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeno brine, a pinch of salt

Method

1. Spread the curds on a tray and freeze for 15 minutes. They should be firm and cold but not frozen solid.
2. Stir the sour cream, mayonnaise, chives, brine and salt together for the dip, and refrigerate.
3. Whisk the batter flour, cornflour, baking powder, salt and garlic powder in a large bowl. Stir in the chopped jalapenos.
4. Pour the oil into a deep, heavy pan to a depth of at least 6 cm and heat it to 180 C. Line a tray with kitchen paper.
5. Toss the cold curds in the 30 g of dredging flour, shaking off the excess.
6. Pour the lager into the batter and stir briefly until just mixed. A few lumps are fine, and the batter should coat a spoon thickly.
7. Dip a handful of curds into the batter, lift each out so the excess drips off, and lower them into the oil. Fry in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until deep golden.
8. Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on the paper, sprinkle with salt, and let the oil return to 180 C between batches. Serve immediately with the dip.

Tips, swaps and storage

Squeaky, same-day curds fry best; older curds are drier and lose the texture that makes the dish. If the curds leak, the oil was too cool or the curds too warm.