Have you ever wondered how to make fresh mozzarella cheese? Cheese making may seem like such an intimidating process, but last spring, Mr, Micheal Losurdo Sr.,
owner of Losudo Foods in Hackensack, N.J. came to visit MHCA and demonstrated for our Culinary Arts students his simple step by step process.
Perfecting the art of making fresh mozzarella will surely take some practice without this kind of expert guidance in your kitchen, but it is well worth the effort.
The taste is amazing and the process is a lot of fun.
STEP 1: Have a large vat of water ready at 165-170° F. Beginning with fresh cheese curds (available at specialty grocery stores like Corrado’s Markets), slice the curds into a large stainless steel bowl.
STEP 2: Put the curds through a first cook by ladling the heated water gently around the edges of the bowl until the curds are fully submerged. Stir with a stainless steel spoon or paddle. As the water begins to cool, ladle in additional hot water. This is tempering the cheese.
STEP 3: As the curds begin to soften together, use the paddle to fold and stretch the cheese, eventually bringing it to a silky texture.
STEP 4: Pour out some of the water in the bowl and replace with fresh hot water for the second cook. Now the mozzarella is ready for shaping. Working your hands into the water (keep a bowl of cold water nearby for quick relief from the intense heat!), lift and stretch the cheese, submerging it repeatedly to keep it moist and warm.
STEP 5: Separate a piece of cheese from the larger mass, then begin folding and smoothing into the desired shape.
STEP 6: Work your palms in a cupping motion to create a traditional ball. Mr. Losurdo explains that “mozzare” means to cut — in slang, to “murder”—and gave mozzarella its name, as the motion of the pinching action used here is like strangling (perhaps once used on early pizza thieves!).
STEP 7: Cheese can be shaped in a variety of ways. Twist off small balls to create bocconcini (“little bites”). With practice, you can even stretch a long strand and create a lovely braid like this one.
STEP 8: Once the ball is formed, place it in a prepared bowl of water to cool. It can then be shifted to a second bowl of salted water to impart a salty finish, if desired. And done! These beauties are ready to serve.
Fresh Mozzarella Making Kit
Losurdo Foods has created a mozzarella making kit which will help you make mozzarella like a pro! http://losurdofoods.com/products/losurdo-mozzarella-curd-kit/
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