Help me justify my new budget catergory!

October 24, 2007 8:10 PM

What can I do with expensive mozzarella?

So, I wasn't paying enough attention when I was food shopping earlier today and now I have some rather expensive (on a student budget, at least) cheese. I was just going to use it for two pasta recipes that I want to try, but I'm hoping the hive mind can do one better. Does anyone have any non-pizza recipes that would be noticeably enhanced by a better, tastier mozzarella?

posted by Ctrl_Alt_ep to food & drink (22 comments total)

Cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and your mozzarella. A delicious salad.

Personally, though, I'd just eat it with some good crusty bread.
posted by SansPoint at 8:11 PM on October 24, 2007

There is nothing better than good mozzarella with a good tomato, some basil and good olive oil. It's so simple and so good.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 8:13 PM on October 24, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

What form is it in? Because if it's fresh balls (in liquid), just eat it. Cut it into bite-size chunks, not too small, and dip it in a tiny bit of balsamic/EVOO suspension and enjoy it.

If it's dry, I'd suggest getting the best Italian loaf you can, and the nicest Roma tomatoes around. If you have organic/local other kinds, that's okay too. Big slices, EVOO on the bread, and warm in a toaster oven.

If it's shredded, damned if I know.
posted by cobaltnine at 8:14 PM on October 24, 2007

Insalata caprese is the greatest destiny of any fine mozzarella!! If it's fresh mozzarella, serve it sliced with sliced (super fresh, heirloom is best!) tomatoes, fresh basil, a little drizzled extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Dab up any juices with that crusty bread! Ummmm, good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
posted by Misciel at 8:16 PM on October 24, 2007

Coat it in bread crumbs and oregano and drop it into hot oil for a few seconds. Yum Yum Yum.
posted by amyms at 8:16 PM on October 24, 2007

How expensive? If it's really nice buffalo mozzarella or something, I'd tend towards thinking it's just for eating.

If it's just regular fresh mozzarella that's better than the cheap block of pizza cheese, you can make some ridiculously good mozzarella sticks. The best you've ever had. Cut cheese into sticks, flour, coat in beaten egg, coat in spiced breadcrumbs, repeat eggs and breadcrumbs, fry for a very short time until brown and delicious.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 8:16 PM on October 24, 2007

I would add balsamic vinegar to the caprese salad that a few people have suggested above.
posted by Jaltcoh at 8:18 PM on October 24, 2007

I was going to suggest caprese salad as well.

I would use it in a special lasagna recipe. I often use quality mozarella in the lasagna that I make. It does make a difference.

Another idea is to cut into cubes as cobaltine suggests, but instead of just dipping into balsamic olive oil, which is yum, make a cold pasta salad with a balsamic/olive oil dressing. Add the cubes, cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, olives, etc. Or, sundried tomatoes, olives, capers, etc.
posted by LoriFLA at 8:24 PM on October 24, 2007

Get:

1. some good bread (ciabatta, maybe)
2. an eggplant
3. a small tomato, a chili pepper, some spices

Then:

1. Mash up tomato, pepper, spices into a sauce. Go for medium-hot to hot flavor. Maybe throw in a bit of liquid smoke.

2. Slice the ciabatta in half. (or get out two slices of good bread)

3. Slice the eggplant up, let it sit for a bit to get some of the water out, toss it with some flour and then fry it a bit.

4. Throw the eggplant on the bread slice 1, throw the cheese on the eggplant, throw the sauce on bread slice 2. Combine. If mozzarella does not melt from contact with eggplant, microwave it a tiny bit.

This is delicious. I stole the idea from a restaurant. I don't even like eggplant or spicy red sauces but this is amazing. I want to go get an eggplant and good mozzarella right now and make it. Damn it.
posted by mustcatchmooseandsquirrel at 8:24 PM on October 24, 2007 [9 favorites has favorites]

The cheese is dry, not shredded, and about three times what I would normally play for a similar brick. I really like the answers so far - I hope that this doesn't actually become a new budget category.
posted by Ctrl_Alt_ep at 8:25 PM on October 24, 2007

Okay, it's not fresh. Hmm, then a hot dish is in order. This is my favorite lasagna recipe. If you are interested in this extremely delicious recipe, use less salt than Ina. About a teaspoon, or more, less. Ina Garten is the best cook, but she is heavy handed with the salt. I use thinly sliced fresh mozarella. You could shred yours.
posted by LoriFLA at 8:36 PM on October 24, 2007

If I had some really great mozzarella, personally, I wouldn't use it in a lasagna. Lasagna has so much flavor as it is, and it's always good no matter what. I'd use the good cheese on something that really showcases its flavor and texture. Keep it simple.
posted by HotPatatta at 8:56 PM on October 24, 2007

Good crusty French bread, sliced lengthwise
roasted red peppers
fresh basil
slices of fresh mozz
drizzle with olive oil

Fantastic sandwich.
posted by emelenjr at 9:33 PM on October 24, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Since this is dry mozzarella, the trick to getting the large, thin, beautiful curls is to grate with a fruit peeler. This way you get maximum surface area and flavor instead of the delicate airy confetti.
posted by junesix at 10:02 PM on October 24, 2007

What's wrong with a good pizza recipe? I went through a phase of major mozzarella spending after reading/looking at this pizza recipe...
posted by kmennie at 10:08 PM on October 24, 2007

How to make pizza. If you make pizza Jeff's way you will be more satisfied than solving a Rubik's cube on your own.
posted by caddis at 11:17 PM on October 24, 2007

I would add balsamic vinegar to the caprese salad that a few people have suggested above


Oh, yes!
posted by Neiltupper at 11:42 PM on October 24, 2007

OMIGOD! Can someone start an InsalataCapreseFilter?!! It's the greatest!
posted by JimN2TAW at 4:50 AM on October 25, 2007

oops, kmennie beat me to it.
posted by caddis at 7:00 AM on October 25, 2007

You could shred it and throw it into a salad with some mixed greens and chunks of cantaloupe and the aforementioned balsamic vinegar- it's really refreshing. Or just wrap some prosciutto around it and eat it.
Or, for a really cheap amazing snack, get a decent loaf of French bread, slice it up, slice the mozarella thicky, and douse it with a bit of lemon juice and black pepper. Then broil that for like a minute till the cheese starts to melt and brown slightly. Grilled cheese of the gods.
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 1:09 PM on October 25, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Thicky? Thickly.
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 1:10 PM on October 25, 2007

Moza- ok, forget it. Drooling over the recipes and can't type at all.
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 1:11 PM on October 25, 2007