Making Mozzarella!!

“Taste this,” Jefe (Chef David Nuss) dropped a piece of fresh mozzarella in front of me on my cutting board and walked away. I reluctantly bit into it and asked, “What’s wrong with it?”

“Probably the best batch you’ve ever made,” he replied.  “Uh, uh,” I was dumbfounded.  “Thank you Chef. You’re welcome,” he said as I stood there with my jaw still on the floor. This came a couple weeks, and a couple catastrophic batches, after I began to make the fresh mozzarella.

In the Harmoni Market kitchen it is a chore to make the fresh mozzarella.  To know the technique and understand the process is one thing but being able to achieve the right texture, flavor and all other complex variables that go into it is another. Add the pressure that it is a signature Harmoni Market product, not to mention that Chef David is quit the critic when it comes to the fresh mozz. So needless to say when it came time for my lesson on making the mozzarella I shut my mouth, watched and listened closely.

“Ok, first thing is that it’s too salty. You only need two and a half cups of salt. Is your water boiling?” he said. I nodded yes. “So pour the salt in,” as he glanced over the bowl of cheese curd I had diced. He got another bowl and filled it with ice and a little bit of water. Gestured for rubber gloves and was ready to work.

“I suggest that you put two pairs of gloves on as well, since the water is boiling and all,” he let out a slight grunt as he poured the heavy pot of boiling hot water on top the curd, just covering it.  “I’ll show you a trick. Now you’re going to use this ice water to dip your hands in to numb them up a little,” I immediately dove my hands into the frigid water and cringed. Without hesitation, my mentor went right into the bowl of hot water with the steam still pillowing off of it. I reluctantly did as well and was pleasantly surprised to find the ice water trick worked.  “Now you want to make sure all the curd is covered and as it begins to melt you’ll start to pull,” he explained. I pulled the bright white velvet and as it melted through my fingers, the numbness from the frigid water wore off and it began to burn! I let out a little shriek and immediately dropped my fingers in the ice water, splashing over the edge of the bowl making a mess. Chef continued to pull the cheese and laughed slightly.

“Yeah, I’m not used to making it by hand either,” he said. I looked at him puzzled.  “I was taught to use two wooden spoons. You use one spoon to bring the cheese together as it melts and then both spoons to help you pull,” he tried to demonstrate.  “I don’t see wooden spoons in this kitchen,” he looked around quickly, his hands still working. “Is that how they taught you in school?” I asked.  “Nah,” he shrugged, “ that’s how my mother taught me. Two seasoned, wooden spoons. She used to make mozzarella (pronouncing it muzz-a-rel) at home. The trick is to get the water the right temp and to not over work the curd or it’ll be tough.”  After twenty minutes, I became impatient and complacent.

“This is taking to long. Can’t I do something to make this go faster? Can I cut the curd a day ahead of time or something?” I asked.  He patiently looked at me and said, “I guess you could but then the curd would dry out.” I pouted. Again with patience he answered me with, “There is no real way to speed it up. To make it right takes time, skill and patience. That’s why it’s an art.”

Prosciutto Mozzarella Bruschetta
1 lb of Prosciutto, slice thin
1 lb of Harmoni Market Fresh Mozzarella
1 loaf of Olde Hearth Ciabatta bread, slice thin
¼ cup of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
Preheat the oven to 350. Lay the slices of Ciabatta on a baking sheet and drizzle the olive oil over the bread and season. Lay one piece of prosciutto on one piece of bread, fold the prosciutto if necessary. Cut the mozzarella into 1/8-1/4 inch thick slices. Top the prosciutto with a piece of mozzarella, repeat. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until the mozzarella just begins to melt. Top with fresh cracked black pepper, if desired, and serve.
Serves 8

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 25th, 2008 at 5:57 pm and is filed under "In the Kitchen" Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.