Marinated Buffalo Mozzarella and Tomato - Caity

Another sunny day in Portland! To celebrate the coming of spring, I wanted to make something with lots of fresh, ingredients and flavors. This recipe is from the "Plenty" cookbook written by Yotam Ottolenghi. The cookbook is entirely vegetable recipes and I can't wait to try more of them out.

Marinated mozzarella with tomato is a simple, fresh tasting starters that is easy to make and verrrrrryyyyy rewarding. The mozzarella is marinated in olive oil spiked with fennel seeds, lemon zest, basil and oregano. The tomato breaks up the richness of the mozzarella and makes it one delicious dish! Make sure you buy buffalo mozzarella (the kind that is sitting in the gross cloudy water) or else it won't be as tender. 

The foodstyling credit goes to Brendan for his excellent ability to arrange my culinary tornado into an appetizing looking meal (see Brendan, I told you I'd give you credit!).

what you'll need:

for the marinade:

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

grated zest of 1 lemon

15 basil leaves, shredded

2 tsp chopped oregano

2 tsp. good quality olive oil plus extra to finish

2 tsp grapeseed oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/2 tsp big flaky sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

8-9 oz of fresh buffalo mozzarella

2 ripe medium tomatoes (try experimenting with heirloom)

To make the marinade: start by pan frying the fennel seeds in a small frying pan over medium heat and dry-roast until brown but not burned. Transfer to a mortar and crush roughly. In a small bowl, add the crushed fennel seeds and the rest of the marinade ingredients.

Break the mozzarella up roughly with your hands. Smear it with marinade and let sit for 15-30 minutes.

To serve, cut the tomatoes into wedges and serve alongside the mozzarella. Drizzle with extra olive oil and serve with nice crusty white bread. 

One year ago: Paprika Shrimp Pasta, Balsamic Asparagus with Parmesan