Marinated Mozzarella in Crème Fraîche with Lemon

I surprised myself the other day by making this marinated mozzarella for a snack. I must say that this dish was really quite lovely and the marinate transforms a lovely piece of mozzarella cheese into something really special. The lemon juice really brought out the tang of the crème fraîche and leftovers were perfect on top of a piece of baked cod.

Ingredients:

4 balls of buffalo mozzarella

6 heaped tablespoons of crème fraîche

sea salt and pepper

1 lemon

fresh marjoram leaves

fresh chilies

4 tablespoons of EVOO

Directions:

1. Slice the buffalo mozzarella into 1/2 inch slices. Place on dish and smear the crème fraîche over the cheese. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

2. Wash and peel a lemon with a vegetable peeler and finely chop half the rind. Sprinkle this over the mozzarella and crème fraîche. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon and reserve the rest in case the flavor needs tweeking.

4. Sprinkle a handful of fresh marjoram leaves

5. Halve, deseed and finely slice a couple of fresh chilies and sprinkle over the mozzarella. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over the dish and serve.

Makes 4 servings. Leftovers will keep for a couple of days in the fridge and are scrumptious on a piece of baked cod (Pre-heat over to 425 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes).

Recipe courtesy of Jamie Oliver from Happy Days with the Naked Chef.