Use mozzarella curds like those pictured to create mozzarella balloons.
Spheres of mozzarella cheese filled with tomato puree will amaze your guests when you present these cheesy treats atop a salad. The siphon canister required for this more familiarly injects air into cream for squeezing out of the bottle in dollops atop desserts. Without a siphon canister, you cannot inflate and fill your mozzarella balloons. Serve these as an edible garnish instead of sliced cheese or with a cheese plate for a show-stopping side.
Instructions
1. Fill a siphon canister with 2 cups tomato juice. Shake the canister and sit it in a bowl filled with ice water until ready to use.
2. Heat in a saucepan over medium heat 32 oz. water and 4 tbsp. salt until the mixture reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit on a cooking thermometer.
3. Add 4 oz. mozzarella curd (solid portions) to the heated water and continue to cook for five minutes.
4. Remove the mozzarella from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a paper towel lined work surface.
5. Pull off one inch diameter amounts of mozzarella from the main part of the cheese and work the cheese in your hands until it feels pliable, stretches easily and looks smooth.
6. Flatten the mozzarella ball into a 2-inch diameter sheet.
7. Make an okay sign by putting your thumb and first finger together in a circle on your non-dominant hand.
8. Stretch the mozzarella sheet over this circle and carefully put the tip of the siphon canister in the middle of the cheese.
9. Hold the ends of the mozzarella with the hand operating the siphon canister against the tip of the canister.
10. Slowly push the nozzle of the canister to fill the mozzarella with chilled tomato juice.
11. Release pressure on the nozzle when the mozzarella balloons out to the size of a tennis ball.
12. Twist the balloon around so it closes off the opening from the balloon to the siphon canister nozzle.
13. Place the completed mozzarella balloon on paper towels and repeat with the remaining cheese.
14. Chill the mozzarella balloons in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Tags: siphon canister, mozzarella balloons, filled with, mozzarella from, mozzarella with, tomato juice
