RECIPES

I love the creamy and sour flavour of buffalo mozzarella, especially when served with this roasted red pepper and tomato sauce.

Serves 4 (Vegetarian)

Ingredients
120g (4½oz) breadcrumbs made from day-old sourdough bread
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp coarsely torn fresh basil leaves
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
25g (1oz) plain flour
1 egg
4 x 100g (4oz) balls of buffalo mozzarella
olive oil, for frying

For the sauce
1 small bulb of garlic, about 5cm (2in) in diameter
225g (8oz) ripe tomatoes, halved lengthways
1 large red pepper
1½ tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp balsamic vinegar
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
 

Method
Preheat the oven to 190ºC (375ºF), gas mark 5. To make the sauce, cut off and discard the top quarter of the garlic bulb and wrap the rest in foil. Arrange the tomatoes, cut-side up, on a foil-lined baking tray and sprinkle lightly with salt. Add the whole red pepper and the foil-wrapped garlic to the tray and roast for 1 hour until the tomatoes are beginning to char, the garlic is completely tender and the red pepper is blackened and cooked through.

Transfer the red pepper to a plastic bag, seal and leave to cool for 20 minutes. Remove from the bag, peel off the skin and discard the core and seeds. Place the flesh in a food processor with the tomatoes. Unwrap the garlic and squeeze the roasted cloves into the food processor. Add the lemon juice, olive oil and balsamic
vinegar and blend until smooth. This can be made up to 24 hours in advance and kept in a bowl covered with clingfilm in the fridge.

Mix the breadcrumbs with the parsley, basil and lemon rind in a shallow dish. Season with salt and pepper. Also season the flour and tip onto a flat plate. Lightly beat the egg in a shallow dish.

Tear each ball of mozzarella into four pieces, dust in the seasoned flour and shake off any excess. Dip first in the beaten egg, and then in the herby breadcrumbs. Arrange on a baking tray lined with non-stick parchment paper and chill for at least 2 hours.

When ready to cook, pour olive oil into a large saucepan to a depth of 5cm (2in) or heat a deep-fat fryer to 180ºC (350ºF) – a small piece of white bread should brown and rise to the surface in about 1 minute. Deep-fry the mozzarella in batches for 2–3 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Drain well on kitchen paper.

To Serve
Warm the sauce in a small saucepan over a gentle heat and transfer to a small bowl. Arrange four mozzarella fitters on each warmed plate and serve with the bowl of sauce alongside.

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