Back in March when Linda Reilly released OUT OF THE DYING PAN, the second book in her Deep Fried Mystery series, I was intrigued and wanted to read it. I made myself a note to purchase the book but then saw she had some contests going on with a chance to win a copy….so I entered…and then I actually won! Thank you, Linda! It’s such a fun way to be introduced to an author that I haven’t read before.
In addition to a great cozy read, Linda has some deep-fried recipes and she’s allowed me to share Talia’s Deep-Fried Meatballs recipe with you! Now while I was very excited to read the book I was very hesitant to contact Linda and ask if I could share her recipe…I’ve NEVER deep-fried anything and the prospect terrified me. However, I do like a good challenge and decided to take the plunge, so to speak. We have friends who are deep-fry fanatics and have set up a beautiful outdoor deep frying station. They often have Fry-day Fridays and I’ve attended their parties, but somehow never watched them deep-fry since I was having fun hanging out with my granddaughters. I figured if my attempt didn’t go well on my own I had some experts to back me up for the second round. Luckily the recipe was a success on my own and I thank Linda and her well-written, easy-to-follow recipe for stretching my culinary capabilities. On top of that, these delicious golden-brown morsels are perfect as an appetizer or a meal! I’ve included a video tutorial below so you can see how I overcame my terror!
Synopsis
Talia Marby’s new business, Fry Me a Sliver, is doing brisk business in the quaint Berkshires’ town of Wrensdale. Talia is expanding her menu from just fish and chips and has added two employees to help with the increase in business. One of her new hires is Martha Hoelscher, a grumpy older woman who is overly qualified for the job and has a mysterious past. Talia is participating in the town’s annual Santa fundraiser and has set up a deep-fried station alongside other booths. Her booth neighbor is Ria, owner of the new vintage shop in town, Once or Twice. Ria is extremely rude to Talia and demands another booth away from the “fry cook”. When told she has to stay where she’s at, Ria ends up accusing Talia of stealing her Christmas ornaments. But the tables are turned when Talia spies her deceased grandmother’s scarf on Ria’s sale rack. Talia had made the scarf for her beloved grandmother, from special yarn that was impossible to find. She demands that Ria tell her where she got the scarf and then tries to buy it. Ria refuses to sell and instead, wraps the beautiful scarf around her neck and stomps off.
After the conclusion of the fundraiser, Talia finds Ria stuffed into a closet, strangled to death with her grandmother’s scarf. The police are taking a close look at Talia because of the argument the two were seen having over the scarf and then it comes out that the day of the murder Ria had posted nasty Facebook reviews about Fry Me a Sliver, which hurt her business. Knowing she must clear her name or lose both her freedom and her shop, Talia starts asking questions. As she digs deeper into the murder, she finds that events from her childhood are coming back to haunt her.
My Review
There was a certain sweetness to the book and in Talia’s character. No matter how nasty or unlovely some of the other characters were in the book, Talia would remind herself that she shouldn’t judge since she didn’t know what all the circumstances were with the person. And I find that to be a very true observation for real life and a good reminder to have more compassion for those we come in contact with. I enjoyed the interaction Talia has with those surrounding her and how she’s slowly progressing in her relationship with Ryan, giving herself time to grow as a person. OUT OF THE DYING PAN is a strong character driven book which pulled me in and made me feel like I had connected to them. The murder mystery was well thought out and had plenty of red herrings to keep me guessing. With several subplots woven into the theme, my interest was held and I kept turning pages for “just one more chapter”. The ending was especially touching…while the author could have skipped tying up one of the brief subplots, she chose to address it and left me with tears in my eyes. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series!
A special thank you to Linda Reilly for providing an autographed copy of OUT OF THE DYING PAN to one winner! Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. Contest ends Monday, May 30, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST. Winners will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)
Talia’s Deep-Fried Meatballs
Talia spent her childhood at her nana’s elbow watching her make homemade meatballs. She knew that Nana tweaked the recipe depending on whom she was feeding. Ingredients such as fresh garlic, Parmesan cheese, and herbs can be adjusted to suit your taste.
If you’d like to cut down on preparation time for the deep-fried meatballs, there are many frozen brands that are quite good.
Ingredients
Meatballs
3/4 pound hamburger
1 tablespoon finely minced onion
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (more if you’re a garlic lover!)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon crushed basil
1/8 teaspoon crushed oregano
1 cup panko crumbs
5 tablespoons high-quality marinara sauce
Batter
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon finely crushed basil
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon beaten egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Oil for frying
Instructions
Meatballs
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Mix all of the ingredients with a fork until well blended. (I actually like using my hands…)
Form into small- or medium-sized meatballs (about 1-1/2-inch diameter works well, but you can make them smaller if you’d like.)
Roast in a roasting pan coated with nonstick cooking spray for 10 to 12 minutes. The meatballs should be browned but not overdone.
Chill in the fridge for at least a few hours or preferably overnight. They can also be frozen ahead of time.
Batter
Combine together in a mixing bowl the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, Parmesan, and basil.
In a separate bowl, combine the water, egg, and oil.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until well blended.
In a deep fryer or heavy pan, heat additional vegetable oil to 350 to 375 degrees, using just enough oil to cover the meatballs.
A candy/deep-fry thermometer will help gauge the oil temperature.
One by one, coat the chilled meatballs in the batter.
Using tongs, remove each meatball from the batter and lower each one slowly into the oil, but avoid crowding the pan.
Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes, then remove and drain on paper towels.
Don’t worry if your deep-fried meatballs end up with little batter “tails”. They’re crispy and delicious!
Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce.
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I love most fried foods and have tried deep fried alligators!
I did try a deep-fried Twinkie at the fair one year…not sure why since I’ve never been a fan of Twinkies…lol! Otherwise, I love deep-fried veggies and now meatballs 🙂
The meatballs sound delicious. Hadn’t had them battered before.
I guess the fried Snickers is probably the most fascinating fried thing
I’ve had. Couldn’t figure out how the candy stayed solid after
frying.
thanks.
Mainstream eater. Tried making fried mozzarella last night. A couple fell apart but tasted fine.
My husband will eat fried anything and is sure to love these meatballs!
What a coincidence?!? I’m making a turkey version of these tonight for the first time…we’ll see how it turns out. 🙂 Adding a little alfredo sauce and some yummy zucchini too. Seriously can’t wait for dinner…
Thanks for the chance to win too!
Sounds good. Thanks for the opportunity.
I love fried food but since I’ve had my gall bladder out I have to watch how much and what I eat. We eat a lot of zucchini and green tomatoes in the summer. Most of the things I eat fried is a form of vegetable. robeader53@yahoo.com
I am more of a main stream eater, but, I have tried fried bananas and liked them.
The only time I eat deep-fried is if I eat out, and that’s not a whole lot. Mom never fried anything when I was growing up, so I never learned, and never really acquired a taste for it. I have tried fried alligator while I was in New Orleans and enjoyed it!
I tried deep fried pickles, they were weird but good. I love fried food, but alas I have very high cholesterol even with high dose meds so I have to be careful!
Deep fried meatballs! Oh yeah, those look great. Although I am a traditionalist, I can be adventurous, too. I tried deep fried snickers bar…the most gooey dessert! We used a lighter batter to coat the candy bar… the crunch, the goo, and the ‘ohs and has’ were marvelous.
I haven’t had anything odd deep fried although i love the funnel cakes they are my go to food at the fair!
If you go to the State Fair of Texas, you will find a plethora of deep fried foods: twinkles, cheesecake (yum), Coca Cola, snickers bars, oreos, etc…. I notice a trend here that I go for the sweet, but the Fair also has some savory things deep fried that I just can’t think of at the moment. I must say the fried cheesecake was awesome!
Congratulations Kim on winning the book! I try not to eat much deep fried foods, but, I love a good deep fried corn fritter. Thanks for the chance to win Out of the Dying Pan!
Deep fired isn’t near the top of my food list. Now if someone is cooking it and I can taste it, that’s a whole different thing.
I’m not a very adventurous eater, but these fried meatballs sound amazing. I do like fried food, but I have tried fried frog legs and calamari.
I had deep fried alligator bits a few weeks ago in Ft. Myers Beach and I enjoyed them also; I’ve also had them in the Keys and New Orleans. Thanks for the opportunity to win Out of the Dying Pan! I love the title….
I am a more mainstream eater. If it don’t look good I won’t eat it. Thank you for a chance to win an autographed copy of Out Of The Dying Pan.
I had a deep fried Snickers once. Way too rich!
I liked frogs legs and I deep fried some and couldn’t finish so my Uncle finish so could eat. I’ve changed my mind on eating them
At the state fair, they always have deep fried things to try – fried moon pies, fried twinkies, etc. I’ve tried a few. Fried pickles did not sound good, so I skipped that one.
I am not adventurous with the foods I eat. But I do like deep fried asparagus! I would love to win!! Thanks for offering this!!
Of course, we live in the Central Valley.
Thank you another interesting series to read. I’m doing a Happy dance! ?
I’m a min stream eater if you count being a vegetarian main stream. I don’t care for deep fried foods. I would still enjoy reading Out of the Dying Pan! Thank you!
Deep fried suckers! A little fish. In the spring you catch them with a net. You ct off heads and leave tails.
Thank you for the chance!
I think the only ‘unusual thing’ is a deep fried oreo at a carnival. These meatballs look delish!
Fried octupus is the strangest food I’ve ever eaten. Didn’t really like it.
I’m not familiar with this series, so will be looking into it. Thanks for another great post.
I am a mainstream eater unless you count Fried Pickles or Fried Green Tomatoes as odd. Thanks for the Contest. The end bringing tears to your eyes in the Review made me want to read it!
Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com
Deep fried ice cream. It was delicious. And quite the hit with my children.
I have to say I’m not much of a risk taker when it comes to food. The on,y thing I was tricked into eating once was fried squid.
I tried deep fried pickles—and didn’t like them.
I love fried food but mostly conventional. I’ve tried fried pickles and liked them. Thanks!
I love deep fried food but haven’t tried anything unusual.
I had a deep fried oreo..I felt so guilty, but it was yummy
I tried to make homemade corn dogs to deep fry. The batter slid right off. Had fried cheesecake once and it was yummy!
I HAVE HAD FRIED TOMATOES ,PICKLES AND A ONION BLOSSUM BUT THAT IS NOT UNUSUAL. THANKS FOR THE GIVEAWAY!
I like anything deep fried! This sounds yummy!
I gotta admit I love fried food 🙂
you can never have too many good meatball recipes..and these sound tasty…
Deep fried Rocky Mountain Oysters. And deep fried crickets.
I am a mainstream eater. I really don’t understand the need to deep fry all of those strange things. Or, eat them either.