Frank's Recipes! Buffalo Mozzarella Roll (appetizer)

Frank's Recipes
Free Recipes Archive

Free Counter by Pliner.Net
dating, lasik, search, shopping
Visitors Since July 1, 1998

This location is no longer being supported or updated.
Please adjust your browser favorites to
http://www.franksrecipes.com

MENU

ť Cookbooks
ť Hints & Tips
ť Foodservice
ť Links
ť My Awards
ť My Guestbook
ť Recipe Archive
ť Software
ť Volume Cooking
ť Where Are You
ť About

Help support this site

Recipe Archives

Buffalo Mozzarella Roll (appetizer)

3 Lbs Buffalo (fresh) mozzarella Cheese (with packing milk)
6 to 8 Oz. Sundried Tomatoes in Olive Oil (drained)
1 Can Kalamata Olives
5 to 6 Cloves Garlic
1 Bunch Fresh Basil
2 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

Tools

Food processor
Parchment paper
Double boiler
Rolling pin
Jelly roll pan

Place the packing milk and the mozzarella cheese balls into a large bowl on top of a pan of simmering water (double boiler) to heat (melt/soften).

While the cheese heating seed and chop (mince or dice) the Kalamata Olives and set aside. Drain the oil from the sundried tomatoes and process with the garlic and balsamic vinegar to a fine mince and set aside. Chiffanade or mince the basil leaves and set aside.

Watch the mozzarella as it heats and cut the softened pieces with a wooden spatula to expose the still cool centers of the balls, and turn or fold. The object is to heat all the cheese to a very soft consistency but not fully melted. I estimate this was about 160 to 170 degrees.

When the cheese is soft and there are no hard clumps pour off as much milk as possible, and pour the cheese into the parchment lined jelly roll pan. Put another piece of paper on the top and roll out with the rolling pin or press with your palm to an even thickness about 1/8 to 1/4 inch. If you have to, pour off any excess milk.

At this point you need to work quickly - with a pastry spreader or spatula spread the garlic-tomato mixture, leaving about 2 inch on the end without the mixture, sprinkle the olives and the basil over the tomato mixture and give it a nice grind of pepper. Pull up the end of the parchment paper and begin rolling the cheese into a log (I roll from the longest side). Roll as tightly as possible and mold (squeeze) the ends shut. (more milk or oil may run out).

Place the roll seam side down, cover with plastic and store in the fridge overnight on the jelly roll pan. You want to keep it on a flat surface.

When fully set slice into 1/2 inch slices and serve. Remember this is a soft cheese and you will need a very sharp knife.

Caution this log will be somewhat soft just as the cheese is. If you are transporting it wrap it in double foil as it is delicate.

NOTE:
Since the recipe called for a spread of tomatoes and garlic, then spreading chopped olives and basil over the tomato mixture, I decided for convenience to mix all those ingredients into a single (quite thick) paste, which I then spread over the cheese. I called this mix a tomato and olive pesto, cause I thought most folks would understand that easily enough.

As for heating the cheeze, I used a probe thermometer, and when the cheese mixture was about 145 to 148F, I figured it was ready to spread. This was just about the edge my ability to withstand the heat on my fingers (as I had my fingers in the bowl with the cheese and milk, trying to find any cold lumps of cheese).

Because there is some concern about having to work fast when rolling the cheese, I put the jelly roll pan into a 200F oven while the cheese was melting, so when I rolled it out, it wasn't on a cold pan. I think this helped quite a bit, as I didn't have any problem with the cheese getting to firm while rolling. My main issue was getting the cheese in a even thickness, as I ended up with a couple of thin spots, but proceeded with spreading the "pesto" mixture anyway.