Double Asiago Churros with Balsamic Fig Dipping Sauce are Deliciously Italian

Not all Asiago Cheese is the same.

I got asked to do a post on real the Asiago cheese that is imported from Italy. Most people are familiar with Asiago especially if you have been lucky enough to have Asiago topped sourdough bread, maybe you’ve had Asiago grated into a salad or over hot Italian soup. But there is much more to this cheese than over melted over crusty sourdough.

First of all, there are different versions of Asiago. The young or Asiago Fresco, aged only 20 days, is soft, buttery and more delicate, yet has a distinctive flavor. The white, smooth, and creamy texture is great for melting in a sauce.  It is actually one of the most sold cow’s milk cheeses in Italy. Asiago Fresco would be incredible on a cheese plate or in a sandwich. The Asiago Mezzano (middle Asiago) aged 3 to 8 months which has a firmer, straw-colored and sweetish taste. Great for grating over a salad. Asiago Vecchio (old Asiago) is aged 9 to 18 months which has a more crumbly texture is straw colored and has a more mature sharper flavor. This is where Asiago becomes more crumbly, dryer in texture and takes on the beginnings of umami flavors. Asiago Vecchio is perfect for grating over a pizza or some bruschetta.

Then there is the hard aged Asiago Stagionato. Stagionato Asiago cheese is aged for over 18 months. It is deliciously pungent, with spicy notes and loads of umami flavors. It is a real show stopper grated over anything you want to make into a spectacular dish such as a creamy pasta or over these churros.

Real Asiago cheese is only produced in the Asiago Plateau region of North Eastern Italy. It is produced by strict standards assuring the taste and quality is always the same. There is a vast difference between real Asiago PDO and knock off versions you can find in many grocery stores here in the US. The flavor just doesn’t compare. I encourage you to seek out the real stuff, as it will make all the difference in whatever you are making. If you want even more information check out https://uncommoneurope.eu/

Churros are the Spanish doughnut, and I had been playing with doing a savory churro. Once I tasted these Asiagos I knew what I wanted to make. This is the result, they turned out incredible. I could totally see them as the perfect bar food. These churros are made with both the young Fresco Asiago and the Stagionato versions of Asiago. The fresco blends well into the batter and the Stagionato coats these crispy little fingers of goodness in tons of umami flavors. Combined with the dipping sauce and these churros are a fantastic appetizer or snack that will knock your socks off. I brought the leftovers to work, and people were talking about them for the rest of the evening. A cast member found out the next day she had missed them and was begging me to make more! And that is after they were already cold. They were even better hot.

You can make the churro batter and the dipping sauce way ahead and let the shaped logs sit in the fridge covered, even overnight if need be. Which make these quick to make at the last minute. Serve them with a good beer or a fabulous Vesper.

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Double Asiago Cheese Churros

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

chilling

30 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

These are light crispy and full of umami flavor thanks to using 2 kinds of Asiago Cheese

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, Italian, Spanish

Keyword: appitizers, Asiago, bar food, churros

Servings: 3 dozen

Ingredients

Churro Batter

• 8 tablespoons of butter or 1 stick
• 1 ½ cups of water
• 1 tsp teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ¼ cups of flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup finely grated young Asiago cheese Fresco
• 1 cup finely grated aged Asiago cheese Stagionato
• vegetable oil for frying

Balsamic Fig Dipping Sauce

• ½ cup Fig Butter or jam
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Instructions

To make the churro batter.

1. In a medium-sized saucepan heat up the butter and water until the water is simmering and the butter is melted.
2. Add in the salt, black pepper, and flour.
3. Stir well to combine. Continue mixing on a low flame for a full minute.
4. Take it off the heat and let the mixture cool for 2-3 minutes.
5. One at a time vigorously beat in the eggs, making sure each egg has been thoroughly incorporated before adding the next egg.
6. Beat in the grated young Asiago Cheese
7. Spoon the batter into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Or you can use a large plastic storage bag, cut off the end and fit with a large star tip before filling with the batter. Pipe the churro batter into 3 inches long logs onto a wax paper, or parchment lined tray.
8. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill for at least 30 minutes.

To make the Balsamic Fig Dipping Sauce.

1. Stir together the fig butter, the balsamic vinegar and then enough water to thin it out to a thin dipping consistency. Put aside to have ready for serving.

When you are ready to fry the churros.

1. In a large flat-bottomed pot, heat at least 2 inches of the vegetable oil to 375°
2. Fry several churros at a time, try not to overcrowd the pan as it will lower the oil temperature too much. Fry until golden brown, turning them over after 2 minutes, continue to fry for an additional 1 ½ to 2 minutes until they are evenly golden brown.
3. Let drain on paper towels while you fry more batches of the churros.
4. While they are still warm coat the churros in the grated aged Asiago Cheese by either rolling them in a plate of the cheese or shaking them in a plastic bag filled with grated Asiago. Sprinkle more grated Asiago cheese over the top of the finished churros.
5. Serve while still warm, with the fig dipping sauce.

Recipe Notes

You can make the churro batter and the dipping sauce way ahead and let the shaped logs sit in the fridge, even overnight if need be. Which make these quick to make at the last minute.