Mozzarella and bread skewers with anchovy sauce
“These quick and tasty nibbles offer the perfect start to a meal or a sure-fire cure for the munchies.”
- 100ml whipping cream
- 1 clove garlic
- tiny pinch salt
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 anchovy fillets
- 1 tsp chopped parsley
- 4 balls fresh mozzarella
- 4 thick slices of bread from a sourdough or other substantial loaf
- 60g unsalted butter, melted
- 4-6 bamboo skewers (if making handaround snacks cut the standard bamboo skewers in half), soaked for an hour before assembling
- 4 handfuls of soft salad leaves (optional)
A fast and delicious appetiser is to quarter a ball of fresh mozzarella and wrap each quarter in a thin slice of pancetta. Skewer it with a toothpick and grill under a hot grill until the pancetta is crisp and the cheese has just started to ooze. Forks and plates are necessary, as are paper napkins. If you want to go to a little more effort try these skewers of fresh mozzarella and bread cubes with a simple anchovy sauce. Both snacks should be eaten immediately.
Method
For the sauce
Make sauce first.
In a small saucepan boil the cream, stirring for about two minutes until it has thickened and is a little reduced. Set aside.Pound garlic with the salt to make a paste. Transfer garlic paste to a small frying pan with the butter and add the chopped anchovies. Stir over gentle heat until anchovies have dissolved. Stir in the thickened cream and parsley and set sauce aside until needed.
For the skewers
Preheat grill.
Cut the cheese into 2cm cubes. Cut crusts from bread and lightly toast and then cut it into 2cm cubes. Slip bread and cheese onto skewers, starting and finishing with bread.
Balance skewers across a baking tray or ovenproof platter so the bread does not touch the bottom. Brush all sides with the melted butter.
Line the grill tray with foil and place the skewers on the grill tray. Grill two minutes per side or until the cheese is just starting to soften.
To serve
Serve snacks still on skewers, drizzled with a little of the sauce. If serving as a first course you might want to remove the cubes from the skewers and place on top of the greens and then drizzle over the sauce.
Serves 4.
