Melba Sauce Is the Mozzarella Stick Pairing You Never Knew You Needed

Move over marinara.

The first time I saw an article extolling the virtues of mozzarella sticks dipped in Melba sauce, I was more than a little intrigued. Mozzarella sticks are among my go-to orders at restaurants and dipping them in savory marinara sauce seemed like the only option that made sense.

As it turns out, Melba sauce, a condiment made from puréed raspberries, is the preferred mozzarella stick accompaniment in New York’s Capital Region.

What Is Melba Sauce?

Melba is a classic dessert that was created way back in the 1890s by French chef Auguste Escoffier. It was originally billed as poached peaches and vanilla ice cream topped with raspberry sauce, but has taken many forms since. The Melba sauce we're talking about for dipping purposes here is the raspberry purée of it all.

Sara Rizzo, a digital reporter at Albany’s "News 10," grew up in the Capital Region and penned an ode to Melba sauce earlier this year, explaining that as someone who has always chosen Melba sauce as her preferred mozzarella stick condiment, she was surprised to learn that the combination is very specific to her hometown. “I grew up in the Albany area and lived here my entire life,” she told Allrecipes. “Most restaurants list both Melba sauce and marinara sauce on the menu as options to pair with mozzarella sticks. I always choose Melba sauce because I do believe it pairs better with mozzarella sticks.”

“It’s hard to find outside of restaurants, which is another reason why I'd jump at the chance to get it,” she added. “You can buy marinara sauce anywhere and it is used in a lot of other dishes like pizza and pasta. That's why Melba is so special: It's very sweet and provides a nice contrast to mozzarella sticks.”

Where to Find Melba Sauce

Rizzo is right about how challenging it is to get your hands on a jar of Melba sauce. I was able to find one brand on Amazon but it was priced at over $30 for a 32-ounce jar. Although I live in a small beach town in Central Florida, our area is rife with former New Yorkers who have relocated here. On a whim, I posted in a local foodie Facebook group asking if anyone knew of a restaurant where I could try Melba sauce with mozzarella sticks locally.

Enter George Stevens, owner of Hula Moon Tiki Grill in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida, who serves an appetizer at his restaurant that I knew would fit the bill perfectly. Stevens’ pepper Jack cheese sticks, a popular item on the restaurant’s appetizer menu, are, in fact, served with Melba sauce.

“I did get the inspiration for this dish from a trip to Albany, New York in the early ’90s,” said Stevens. “I decided to change it up and make it with a spicier cheese such as pepper Jack. I really feel the spicy cheese and sweet sauce compliment each other quite well.”

What Does Melba Sauce Taste Like?

Intrigued, I headed to Hula Moon Tiki Grill to try the appetizer myself. Melba sauce tastes a lot like sweet raspberry jam, just with a thinner texture. And Stevens was right, the spiciness of the pepper Jack cheese was a unique take on traditional mozzarella sticks that really made the sweet flavors of the Melba sauce pop. I left the restaurant with a to-go container of Melba sauce as well, to try on regular mozzarella sticks at home.

When it was time to try raspberry sauce for a second time, I cooked up a few traditional mozzarella sticks in my air fryer and went to work. A die-hard fan of the safe, comfortable flavors of fried cheese and marinara sauce, I was skeptical. However, when I took my first bite, an audible “wow” escaped my lips. Rizzo was right: Melba sauce brings out the flavors in mozzarella sticks perfectly and its sweet and fruity notes are a great match for the appetizer. It starts to make more sense when you really think about it, after all, cheese and fruit pairings are always popular on cheese plates and charcuterie boards.

“Marinara and other tomato sauces are used in a lot of dishes, so it's nice to have a change,” said Rizzo. “My boss actually mentioned to me that you can only get Melba in this area, and I couldn't believe it. That's what inspired me to do the deep dive especially because I love raspberry sauce so much.”

Now I'm a believer as well and hope we'll start to see Melba on more menus with mozzarella sticks. Until then, we can also make our own at home, using the raspberry featured in Chef John's Melba recipe, and start the delicious dipping trend in our hometowns (though I'm not sure I'll totally forget marinara altogether).

Read the original article on All Recipes.