Avocado Fries with Cilantro Citrus Dipping Sauce

You're probably thinking - what are Avocado Fries? 

Well, these are Avocado Fries! Aren't they pretty?

I adapted this recipe from two fellow bloggers - Adventures in Cooking and Circle B Kitchen. These are both two very insightful blogs worth checking out! Eva at Adventures in Cooking is an amazing photographer who really thinks outside the box when developing recipes. Patrice at Circle B Kitchen really cooks and bakes from the heart. I would try almost every one of her recipes, honestly. Please go to their blogs after you read this post!

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil, for frying
5 firm-ripe avocados, pitted, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp chili powder
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs (maybe a little more)

Fleur de Sel, for sprinkling
Chili Powder, for sprinkling

Cilantro Citrus Dipping Sauce:
10 tbsp mayonnaise
5 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice from 1 lemon and 1 lime

Directions:
Mix flour, salt and chili powder in a shallow plate. Put eggs and panko in separate shallow plates. Take your avocado slices one by one and start dipping. First, dip each slice in the flour, shaking off any excess.  Next, dip in egg and then panko to coat. Set aside battered avocado slices on a separate plate.

Heat up a small deep-fryer or deep frying pan with 2 cups of vegetable oil (as long as the oil is at least 2 inches up the side of the pan). Let the oil reach 350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Fry a few avocado slices at a time until deep golden, turning if necessary half way between cooking. Be careful not to crowd the pan or deep-fryer. Each batch will take anywhere from 1-2 minutes to cook so keep your eye on them!

Transfer slices to a plate lined with paper towels. As soon as they come out of the hot oil, sprinkle fleur de sel and chili powder on them. Serve immediately.

For the Cilantro Citrus Dipping Sauce, stir all ingredients together in a bowl. Mix until smooth and creamy.

This will be hands-down one of the best appetizers you EVER eat. The avocados stay creamy inside the crunchy exterior of panko breadcrumbs. I like using panko much better than regular breadcrumbs because they really hold their crunch. Personally, I did not like the dipping sauce, but my friends did. I don't love anything with mayo so next time I'll try something else, perhaps with a little more heat. For once, I was happy being in the kitchen during the party because I got to eat avocado fries straight out of the deep fryer with extra salt. So what if I burnt my tongue a little bit - it was worth every bite!

*If you are unfamiliar with how to open and slice avocados, check out this helpful video here. I don't want to hear any excuses why you didn't make this recipe! 

Tutti Mangia!