Smoked scamorza

Scamorza fumée

What it is

The name comes from capa mozza, severed head: the curd is tied off with cord and hung in pairs, and the pinched neck above the knot is the head. Two weeks of hanging pulls out most of the water, and the smoke comes from straw burnt under the cheeses rather than from a bottled flavouring.

In the kitchen

Having lost its water, it browns instead of weeping: slice it 1 cm thick and grill or pan-fry it dry, with no oil. Use it in place of mozzarella in a bake to stop the dish going watery.

Goes with

Button mushroom Potato Black pepper Radicchio Olive oil Prosciutto di Parma Oregano Zucchini

Something wrong here, or missing? Tell us