Mozzarella Smores Recipes

30 MINUTE MOZZARELLA RECIPE

Steps:

• Choosing the Right Milk Make sure the milk you use is not ultra pasteurized. You can use homogenized or non-homogenized milk. Farm fresh milk is a great option if you can find it locally. Low fat milk will work, but the cheese will be drier and less flavorful. Prepare Work Area Do not prepare any other food while you are making cheese. Put all food products away. Move all sponges, cloths and dirty towels away from your work surface, wipe your sink and stove with soap and water. Finally use your antibacterial cleaner to wipe down all surfaces. Prepare Rennet Crush 1/4 tablet of rennet and dissolve in 1/4 cup of cool non-chlorinated water, or add 1/4 tsp single strength liquid rennet to the water. Set your rennet mixture aside to use later. Mix Citric Acid & Milk Add 1 1/2 tsp. of citric acid to 1 cup cool water, pour this into your pot. Now, pour cold milk into your pot quickly, to mix well with the citric acid. This will bring the milk to the proper acidity to stretch well later. Heat Milk Heat the milk slowly to 90°F. As you approach 90°F, you may notice your milk beginning to curdle slightly due to acidity and temp. Note: If you're having problems with milk forming a proper curd, you may need to increase this temp to 95°F or even 100F. Add Rennet At 90°F, remove the pot from the burner and slowly add your rennet (which you prepared in step one) to the milk. Stir in a top to bottom motion for approx. 30 seconds, then stop. Cover the pot and leave undisturbed for 5 minutes. Check the curd after 5 minutes, it should look like custard, with a clear separation between the curds and whey. If the curd is too soft or the whey is milky, let it set longer, up to 30 more minutes. Cut & Cook Curd Cut the curds into a 1" checkerboard pattern. Place the pot back on the stove and heat to 105°F while slowly stirring the curds with your ladle (if you will be stretching the curds in a hot water bath, rather than using a microwave, heat to 110°F in this step). Take the pot off the burner and continue stirring slowly for 2-5 minutes. (More time will make a firmer cheese) Transfer & Drain Curd With a slotted spoon, scoop curds into a colander or microwave safe bowl (if the curd is too soft at this point, let it sit for another minute or so). Once transferred, press the curd gently with your hand, pouring off as much whey as possible. If desired, you can reserve the whey to use later in baking or as a soup stock. Heat Curd & Remove Whey If in a colander, transfer the curds into a heat safe bowl. Next, microwave the curd for 1 minute. If desired, add 1 tsp of salt to the curds for added flavor. You will notice more whey separation from the curd. Drain off all whey as you did before. Quickly work the cheese with a spoon or your hands until it is cool enough to touch (rubber gloves will help since the cheese is almost too hot to touch at this point). Microwave two more times for 35 seconds each, and repeat the kneading as in the last step to aid in more whey drain off and ensure even heating of the curds. Drain off all of the whey as you go. Note: If you prefer to not use a microwave here is a recipe using a water bath where the curds are heated in hot water Knead & Stretch Curd Now the fun begins, knead quickly now as you would bread dough. Remove curd from bowl and continue kneading until it is smooth and shiny. Return it to the microwave if needed (if it begins to cool before it's ready to stretch). Add salt near the finish. At this point, if hot enough, the cheese should be soft and pliable enough to stretch, and stretch, and stretch some more (like taffy). This is what makes it Mozzarella We hope you have as much fun with this as we do. Eat & Enjoy Now knead your cheese back into a big ball until it is smooth and shiny Your Mozzarella is ready as soon as it's cool enough to eat. To cool quickly place it in a bowl of ice water and refrigerate. When cold you can wrap in plastic wrap and it will last for several days, but is best when eaten fresh.

SMOKED MOZZARELLA SKILLET CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken breasts on a work surface and cover with waxed paper. Pound each breast with the smooth side of a meat mallet to an even thickness. Sprinkle both sides with oregano, onion powder, and salt.
• Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breasts and cook for about 4 minutes. Flip and cook about 3 minutes longer. Top each breast with sliced mozzarella. Cover the skillet and cook until cheese has melted and chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 2 to 3 minutes longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Remove from the skillet and allow to cool for 1 minute before serving.

MOZZARELLA "S'MORES"

Steps:

• 1. Place the tomatoes in an attractive serving bowl.
• 2. Arrange the mozzarella, basil leaves, and grilled bread or crackers in bowls or on a platter.
• 3. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. In the best of all worlds, you'd use a charcoal grill, raking the embers into a pile at the bottom of the grill and leaving off the grill grate. If using a gas grill, preheat it superhot.
• 4. Skewer a cube of mozzarella. Roast it over the fire, turning the skewer to evenly melt the cheese. If using a gas grill, you'll need to bring it as close as possible to the fire without touching the grate. When the mozzarella begins to melt and brown, after 1 to 2 minutes over charcoal, a little longer over gas, use a knife or fork to scrape the cheese off the skewer onto a piece of grilled bread. Never attempt to eat the melted cheese directly off the hot skewer - you'll burn your lips. Top the cheese with a basil leaf and a piece of sun-dried tomato and place a second piece of grilled bread on top. Eat at once.