Tuesday 15 February 2011

Sheet Mozzarella Rolls with Beetroot, Rocket, Lemon and Marjoram

Sheet Mozzarella Rolls with Beetroot, Rocket and Lemon
I was intrigued to come across these beautiful sheets of mozzarella, which are produced in Cape Town by Puglia Cheese, a little family firm that has taken the local foodie community by storm. Puglia provided a selection of their exquisite (and I mean drop-dead delicious) cheeses for tasting at the second Neill Anthony Masterclass (more about that soon), which I organised with my friend Judy.

While Judy was at the factory picking up the cheeses, she bought a kilo of this fabulous sheet mozzarella, and we shared it.

Quite apart from the fact that this is authentic Italian mozzarella of the highest quality,  this product is very special because it is so versatile; its delicate, milky deliciousness is a perfect foil for punchy flavours. You can add just about anything you like to a mozzarella roll: the classic Caprese combination of tomato and basil, or fresh herbs of your choice, or garlic, lemon, olives, capers, anchovies, roasted peppers, chillies and other singing flavours of the Mediterranean. I've just make a second roll, which is firming in the fridge as we speak, containing fresh sorrel and beetroot leaves, lemon zest, white anchovies, capers, garlic and pepper.

Sheet Mozzarella Rolls with Beetroot, Rocket and Lemon

Making  these canapes took me just a few minutes, although I did put the roll in the fridge for an hour to firm up. (And no, I didn't matchstick the beetroot myself! I took them, and the rocket,  from a packet of Woolworths's new beetroot and cranberry salad.)

Sheet Mozzarella Rolls with Beetroot, Rocket and Lemon


Do leave the rolls, once you've sliced them, at room temperature for half an hour or so, to lose their chill, and place them on the biscuits or crostini just before serving them, as the cheese tends to weep.

You can spread the filling all over the cheese to achieve a pin-wheel effect, but I found that this made the 'sausage' of cheese difficult to roll neatly.

Sheet Mozzarella Rolls with Beetroot, Rocket, Lemon and Marjoram

a sheet of fresh mozzarella
the finely grated zest of a small lemon
a large clove of garlic, finely crushed
3 T (45 ml) olive oil, plus more for topping
salt and freshly milled black pepper
2 T (30 ml) fresh marjoram leaves (or oregano)
fresh rocket leaves
fresh beetroot, cut into matchsticks

To serve:
olive oil
crackers or crostini

Place a sheet of clingfilm or baking paper on your kitchen counter and smear it with some olive oil. Sprinkle with a little salt and freshly milled black pepper. Pat the mozzarella sheet quite dry using kitchen paper, and place it on the clingfilm.

Sheet Mozzarella Rolls with Beetroot, Rocket and Lemon
In a small bowl, mix together the lemon zest, garlic and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Smear the mixture evenly all over the mozzarella sheet. Arrange the marjoram leaves, rocket leaves and beetroot sticks  along the edge of the mozzarella sheet closest to you. Now pick up the edge of the clingfilm and nudge the sheet into a roll, as you would do if you were making sushi. Roll, away from you, into a neat sausage. Wrap clingfilm round the roll and tightly twist the ends in opposite directions to make a tight 'salami'.

Place in the fridge to firm up for an hour. Now, using a very sharp knife, slice directly through the plastic to make discs. Place on a plate for half an hour to bring to room temperature. Just before serving, arrange the discs on biscuits or crostini and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately.

Makes about 15.



Sheet Mozzarella Rolls with Beetroot, Rocket and Lemon
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10 comments:

Marisa said...

I simply love this! Sheets of mozzarella = genius. My mind is racing with all the applications.

Sam said...

It looks like a thick white blanket of cheesy yumminess. I also love your fillings.

Nina Timm said...

Awesome product and a very clever application!!

Linda Harding said...

This is fabulous! I agree with Marisa, there are so many options with this - yummy! Love your idea, Jane, so pretty. I also love the Woolies beetroot and cranberry salad, yum!

Koek! said...

These look glorious JA - I've been meaning to get to that cheese shop for ages now... Will be visiting this Saturday come hell or high water!

Robyn

Jane-Anne said...

Thank you my friends!

redkathy said...

Oh my these canapés are truly fabulous! Sheets of fresh mozzarella are new to me, thank you.

bed frame said...

This is a really nice and interesting dish! I would love to try this one. Thanks a lot.

Ursula Ostuni said...

Hi Jane, I'm Ursula Ostuni from PUGLIA CHEESE SA. I happened to come across your blog and just wanted to say that we absolutely loved your recipe ideas with our mozzarella sheet. We love sharing recipe ideas, so please log on to our PUGLIA CHEESE facebook and let us know whether you'd accept our warm and succulent gift:

We'd like to offer you an
opportunity to come and visit us at the Mozzarella factory, where you'll be able to see the sheet and other mozzarella products being made. You might already know this, but there is no better time to taste mozzarella, than the moment it has just been made!

I look forward to receiving your call

Ursula

Jane-Anne said...

Thank you Ursula. I will leave a message for you on your Facebook page.