torn mozzarella with creme fraiche, lemon and chilli

I was thinking up a way to use up my beautiful Buffalo Ridge Mozzarella that didn’t involve a salad as I usually veer towards a Caprese – and love basil, tomato and balsamic flavours with it. I felt like trying something a bit different and letting the cheese shine through.

Buffalo Ridge won a best producers award on Saturday at the Eat In awards and you can easily see why. Its an all natural product, hand crafted in the traditional Italian way from pasture-fed buffalo’s from a farm in Wellington.

So a wander around Giovanni’s (my favourite food shop) and a chat with Giovanni, I decided to make this lemony mix which works so well on a crispy cracker, flatbread or buschetta.  I love these Rosemary and Thyme crackers from Ines Rosales which are hand made and hand wrapped in printed grease-proof paper. Imported from Seville in Spain, made with extra virgin olive oil, they are one of my occasional (and yes very expensive) special treats.

The idea of mixing cream with mozzarella has appealed to me since discovering how incredible it can be on a pizza, and with this recipe it turns your cheese into a delicious and simple spread.

Take a ball of mozzarella (about 120g) and tear it into threads. Add 3 tablespoons of creme fraiche and mix. Grate in the fine zest of half a lemon, a squirt of the juice and arrange it on a plate. Drizzle over olive oil and season with salt, pepper and a light sprinkling of smoked chilli (but any chilli flake or freshly chopped chilli would work well).

This fresh tasting mix would go beautifully with anchovies or stirred through hot pasta with a few fresh herbs. I would also like to use my preserved lemons to give it more intensity.