Mozzarella with celery, olives and pine nuts
Skye McAlpine’s book A Table For Friends is an ode to celebrating with the people you love.
Skye McAlpine, a Sunday Times columnist and food author, has released the second book, A Table For Friends. Inside, over 100 recipes perfect for sharing are outlined with the author’s distinctive voice. In the lead up to summer, we’re sharing one of the tastiest, easiest and lightest entreés, a simple mozzarella serve with celery, olives and pine nuts.
“You can pair mozzarella successfully with most things, though I find that celery, with its distinctive mineral flavour, works particularly well with the salty black olives here, while the pine nuts add an unexpectedly creamy note,” McAlpine notes, adding that the success of the dish hinges on the quality of the cheese.
“Buffalo mozzarella, if you can get your hands on it, is my favourite; it’s lighter and a little tangier than mozzarella made from cow’s milk.”
Mozzarella with celery, olives and pine nuts
12 black olives, pitted 6–8 anchovies
25g pine nuts
2 tbsp extra virgin
olive oil
1–2 celery sticks
6 mozzarella cheeses, ideally buffalo
Finely chop the olives, anchovies and pine nuts together. Spoon them into a bowl, pour over the olive oil, give everything a good stir and set aside. Thickly slice the celery.
Thickly slice the celery.
Slice the mozzarella thickly, roughly 1cm thick, and arrange on a serving dish. Sprinkle the chopped celery over the cheese, then spoon over the olive mixture with all of its flavoured oil. Set aside – ideally in the fridge, or if fridge space is at a premium, somewhere cool – for 20–30 minutes before serving, so the cheese becomes imbued with the flavour of the oil.
Bring the cheese to room temperature before serving.
From A Table For Friends by Skye McAlpine, published via Bloomsbury Publishing ($56).