I have been wanting to try buffalo mozzarella for a long time. To me, it looks like a giant marshmallow and can’t wait to sink my teeth into one. After watching Anna & Jonathan made multiple trips to the Inn Bufalito when they were holidaying in Sorrento, I was salivating in admiration *dramatic* and I know I have to get my hands on a buffalo mozzarella really soon. (It’s not a bad idea to travel all the way to Sorrento to try it either, hehe!).
So I’ve bought a buffalo mozzarella ball (250g/8.8 ounces) from Woolworth a couple of days ago and I was quite surprise how expensive it was for just a ball of cheese (like $6!!). Since it’s my first time trying buffalo mozzarella, I thought it’s best to have it without much tampering and the classic way i.e. caprese salad with a slight twist in its presentation…hasselback style!
(Although it tooks a bit of effort for such presentation, I only filled a small amount of mozzarella in each tomato. Comparatively, if you serve caprese salad in the conventional way, it probably requires more mozzarella cheese. Hence, if you decide to splurge on a buffalo mozzarella and intend to feed more than two people, this may be worth considering. For a 250g/8.8 ounces mozzarella ball, I can fill up about 10 smallish roma tomatoes …. oh, please forgive my cheapie self!)
Hasselback Caprese Salad
(I got the idea of hasselback caprese salad when reading the Inflight Magazine for Regional Express and Honest Cooking did a post about this too!)
What you’ll need:-
- About 10 smallish roma tomatoes (quantity required depends on the size of the tomatoes)
- A 250g/8.8 ounces buffalo mozzarella
- A handful of basil leaves
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Good quality olive oil to finish
(1) Thinly slice the top of the tomato. Then slice the base horizontally so that the tomato sits well on the plate on its side. (2) Make multiple slices vertically of equal thickness, but be careful of not to slice the tomato all the way down to the bottom of the tomato. (3) Slice mozzarella cheese and hand torn a basil leave to a smaller piece, stuff them in between the tomato slices. Fill up the in-between-slices of tomatoes with cheese and basil. (4) To serve, drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle freshly ground black pepper.
What a great way to serve a caprese salad! Beautiful presentation.
Thanks Jen!
Beautiful and genius – can’t wait to make – may pour a little balsamic vinegar over top.
Good idea! Thanks for your comment.
You should tear your mozzarella instead of chopping it. You get more bang for your buck and in honesty you don’t really even need as much as you would tend to cut off the ball. If you run your thumb along a ball of mozzarella you’ll find it does naturally peel. Italian chef Gina D’Acampo will tell you an Italian NEVER cuts, only tears mozzarella. Hopefully you liked your Caprese salad
I tried one recently and loved it!
Gino* not Gina -___- haha! Apologies!
It’s pretty obvious I’m not an Italian haha! With that said, I really appreciate the info Cords!
Such a genius and delicious idea!
Thanks for dropping by Angie!
Oh wow, that’s so cute and VERY inventive. We should’ve gone to the Buffalo Dining Club when you were in Sydney…I’ve heard it’s excellent, and with great Buffalo Mozzarella. There’s also a stall at my local farmers market that sells “real Buffalo Mozzarella” made from milk from their Buffalo herd in the Blue Mountains – how cool is that?
Oh cool, didn’t realise there is a good place for Buffalo Mozzarella in Sydney. Must try it the next time I go. You’re so lucky to have access to the real ones at your local farmers market. I have asked people at my work whether there is any cheesemarker in Orange and no one seems to think there is one. I have been watching youtube on how to make Buffalo Mozzarella…contemplating whether I should try to make it myself with normal milk.
I want to thank you for this delicious recipe. I had it for lunch. Not only good to to eat and good for you but very pretty on the plate.
Maybe try slicing your tomato on top of a wooden spoon so you don’t accidentally cut all the way through!
Nice take on the caprese salad!
Beautiful presentation! What would be the right way to eat this salad? Bite in a slice at a time, or slice through and eat with a knife and fork?
I slice through them – one slice of tomato and cheese.
actually, a few very thin slices of onion and a vinegar/oil/garlic dressing and it is pomodoro salata.
Maybe I am missing something, but if you can get your hands on an 8.8 oz ball of bufala mozzarella for $6, you should be kissing the ground. I don’t know you or your blog, so maybe you’re some kind of budget home cook, but mozzarella costs about $9-12 a pound for regular cow’s milk mozzarella, and mozzarella di bufala costs about 50% more than that at least.
Simple and perfect!
Hugs from Brazil.
Bye
This receipe is too cute! I’m going to give it a go today, but I think I will add a slice of ham or prosciutto to each section