Buffalo mozzarella is referred to as an old world Italian delicacy, made from the milk of the Italian water buffalo that have been roaming the hills around Naples for a thousand years. Here in the states, conditions for making it with these lovely beasts are challenging at best. In fact, it's often made with cow's milk instead and the result has little resemblance to the real thing; think rubber versus velvet. What better reason then, to eschew this cheese, and make your own cruelty-free version.
A true visionary in her field, Miyoko Schinner, created this recipe. She uses rejuvelac, a liquid made from sprouted grains which produces that subtle tanginess we love in cheese. Regular probiotic capsules can produce the same effect. There are a couple of ingredients that may be unfamiliar here; xanthan gum and agar powder. Xanthan gum is most often used in gluten-free baking and can be found in the baking isle of many grocery stores today. Agar is a sea vegetable that has no taste and provides gelling effect. I buy agar powder online and find it far superior to agar flakes which are sold in many stores. These ingredients keep for a long time and can be used in other recipes. While the process spans two days, the actual active time for you is only about 15-20 minutes so don't let all of this put you off from trying the recipe. It's really very simple…and fun.
The result is an amazing triumph; rich and creamy, soft but sliceable, and ever-so-slightly tangy. Make this, and you will be hailed a hero for bringing vegan mozzarella to the world of your friends and family. Sam Anderson of the New York Times describes perfect buffalo mozzarella as "unrealistically soft…the golden mean between yogurt and custard and cottage cheese and heavy cream and ricotta." I dare say, Mr. Anderson, that you would say the same of this version, except that we've got one up on you; ours is cruelty-free.
Begin this 1 to 2 days prior to the day you want to eat the cheese. Drain cashews and rinse. Place nuts in a blender with 1/2 cup water and salt. Empty the probiotic capsules into the blender. Blend, stopping to push down and scrape as necessary, until absolutely creamy and smooth. Add water by the teaspoon, if necessary. Add xanthan gum and blend again until it thickens. Empty contents of blender into a bowl and cover. Allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Letting it sit out allows it to ferment and develop a mild tanginess.
After fermenting, empty the contents of the bowl back into the blender. Dissolve the agar powder in the 2/3 cup water in a small pot. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer, stirring with a whisk, for several minutes until completely dissolved. Pour the agar into the blender and blend until completely incorporated. To achieve a “stretchier” consistency, add an additional ¼ to ½ tsp. xanthan gum.
To form the balls, have a large bowl filled ice water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Immediately after blending, use the desired sized ice cream scoop to scoop out portions of the mixture and drop into the water. They will firm up almost immediately. Serve or store in a container filled with water and a teaspoon of salt. If I keep these for more than a couple of days, I change out the water to keep them fresh.
Begin this 1 to 2 days prior to the day you want to eat the cheese. Drain cashews and rinse. Place nuts in a blender with 1/2 cup water and salt. Empty the probiotic capsules into the blender. Blend, stopping to push down and scrape as necessary, until absolutely creamy and smooth. Add water by the teaspoon, if necessary. Add xanthan gum and blend again until it thickens. Empty contents of blender into a bowl and cover. Allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Letting it sit out allows it to ferment and develop a mild tanginess.
After fermenting, empty the contents of the bowl back into the blender. Dissolve the agar powder in the 2/3 cup water in a small pot. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer, stirring with a whisk, for several minutes until completely dissolved. Pour the agar into the blender and blend until completely incorporated. To achieve a “stretchier” consistency, add an additional ¼ to ½ tsp. xanthan gum.
To form the balls, have a large bowl filled ice water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Immediately after blending, use the desired sized ice cream scoop to scoop out portions of the mixture and drop into the water. They will firm up almost immediately. Serve or store in a container filled with water and a teaspoon of salt. If I keep these for more than a couple of days, I change out the water to keep them fresh.
