Mozzarella Fritta Con Pesto Limone

• Mozzarella fritta con pesto limone
• 200g Fresh Mozarella (I used a log), cut into 8 thick slices
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 4 - 6 tablespoons panko (or coarse breadcrumbs)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
• Olive oil, to shallow fry
• Lemon pesto (recipe below)
• Lemon zest and basil leaves, to garnish
• Slices of Italian bread, to serve
• Pesto Limone (Lemon Pesto)
• A handful of basil leaves, washed and shaken to rid excess water
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 2 - 3 tablespoons flaked almonds, dry-roasted
• 2 - 3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup (extra virgin) olive oil
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (I used my microplane)
• Lemon juice, to taste
• Salt, to taste

1. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix well and set in a wide plate. Dip each piece of mozzarella in the seasoned flour, on both sides.
2. Follow by placing floured cheese rounds in the egg, turning over so both sides are dipped then finish off by crumbing in the panko.
3. Set a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and gently heat then place the breaded cheese rounds, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.
4. Let each side fry for 1-2 minutes till golden. Flip over and repeat on the other side.
5. Remove and serve immediately with lemon pesto and extra strips of lemon zest
6. Put the basil leaves and garlic clove in a mortar and pound well till leaves are soft and bruised and garlic is crushed.
7. Add the almonds to the mortar and with a circular motion of the pestle, crush them..... to bits.
8. Using a spoon, add a tablespoon of the Parmesan and then loosen with some of the oil. Add more Parmesan, follow this with more oil, till you have the consistency you like. I like mine fairly loose so I tend to add more oil. When you have the consistency you like, add the lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice then salt to taste. Stir well and set aside.
9. (If using a food processor, you'll need to drizzle the oil in and that's one area you have to watch out for if you're using extra virgin olive oil as it contains bitter tasting polyphenols coated by fatty acids, which prevent them from dispersing. If the oil is emulsified in a food processor, these polyphenols get squeezed out and the liquid mix turns bitter ( as read here: http://www.deliciousdays.com/archives/2009/03/06/pesto-looks-all-too-familiar-wait/).

mozzarella fritta con pesto limone, fresh mozarella, flour, ubc, ubc, egg, olive oil, lemon pesto, lemon zest, italian bread, lemon pesto, handful of basil, garlic, flaked almonds, parmesan cheese, olive oil, lemon, lemon juice, salt

Taken from food52.com/recipes/5099-mozzarella-fritta-con-pesto-limone (may not work)